The Resume Black Hole: 7 Reasons You Haven’t Heard Back

It’s super time consuming applying for jobs, and when you’re not hearing back it can definitely be frustrating. A professional, well-written resume can make a huge difference, but an amazing resume on its own might do the trick. Here’s 7 ideas to explore, and how to resolve them, if your phone isn’t ringing. 

1) Incorrect contact information. I know…it sounds crazy, but this is actually way too common. Even if you’ve had your resume professionally done, do yourself a favor and double, triple-check your phone number and email address. Check that any live links on your resume are working as well.

2) ATS can’t read your resume. Using one of those templates from Word? Trying to keep your tabs flush aligned? Don’t use a table. Applicant tracking software cannot read this text. It’s like sending a blank resume through the scanner.

3) Too many typos. Again, even if you had your resume done, double and triple check it. And not just with a spell check! Manager can too easily become manger, which is also a word and won’t trigger your spell check. Read your resume from back to front, and do a proofread on screen and from a printed page.

4) Too generic. Have lots of interesting experience and hobbies? Great, leave it out of your resume. No one cares that you volunteered a soup kitchen 15 years ago. Keep it current, relevant, and concise.

5) No accomplishments. Don’t feel like you have any highlights? Nonsense! Everyone does. Did you help streamline the office filing system, support your team in a major win, or recommend a great idea with the potential to save lots of time or money? Even if you can’t directly tie the result to your contribution, find a way to position the effort.

6) Not enough experience. Ok, this is the frustrating part, but if you really don’t have the requirements for the job, you most likely won’t hear back. Bottom line. Never hurts to try, but you’ll need to be realistic with your expectations or risk disappointment.

7) Not following instructions or using a general cover letter. While I don’t think it’s realistic to write an entirely new resume and cover letter for each job you apply for, it is absolutely necessary that you scan each application for submission to ensure you have updated with hiring manager info on your cover letter, and included any pertinent info that will help you land the interview. Think – is there anything else that I can add to get their interest? Anything that’s totally irrelevant?

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Keep it polished, professional, and targeted. Track your efforts, and keep your expectations in check by reviewing the real data each week. It might seem like you’ve applied to 100 jobs because each application can take a while, but in reality you might be right on track. Be patient, persistent, and diligent.