How many times you have seen a job advertisement that was just right for you, applied for it, but never heard back from the company? You then start asking these questions to yourself … Did they see my application? Is the vacancy open? Why didn’t I get any call?
I have been in the recruitment industry for 14 years and let me show you the ‘behind the scenes’ events that happen after you ‘apply’ , so you can find some answers and not repeat your mistakes.
Firstly, if the job was advertised, it is definitely open. There IS a vacancy for that position. Secondly, did they see your application? YES they did. Most of us see ALL the aplications that come in. Thirdly, most importantly then, why didnt they shortlist your application? Simply because you were considered not the right fit. Here if you argue that you ARE the right fit, then, sorry, the problem was your resume. Your resume just didnt show that.
For each vacancy, a recruiter gets hundreds of applications but only few make through. A typical recruiter will give your resume only a few seconds to decide whether you are a fit or not.
From my personal experience, let me share you some tips to make your resume make through the screening, get shortlisted and land you a chance to face the interview rounds
THE NECESSARY DETAILS
First things first. Does your resume have all the important details, namely-
- Contact Details:
- Name, Email, Address, Phone number,
- Qualification Details:
- Qualification, College, Year of completion
- Employment Details:
- Employer names, Current & Previous roles, Start & End dates of each employment.
I cant stress this enough, but all the mentioned details are important and you shouldn’t miss any. If your resume misses some key details a recruiter reach out to you for clarity, but honestly if that recruiter has hundreds of resumes to check, he will prefer to move on to the next candidate. Attention to details is reflective of your character as a future employee. Many a times I have heard HR managers say- if he cant remember and doesnt even care to provide the basic details, we don’t want that person on our team.
CLARITY
Believe me I have come across resumes where I have struggled to find out the candidate’s contact details like his email id or phone number and then found them mentioned in the footer of the resume! I have come across resumes where I have struggled to find out where the candidate actually works? Key skills are mentioned, role is mentioned , project names are mentioned but the names of the employers, the duration he worked in each company is obscurely hidden in between paragraphs of text. It irritates me when I need to look up and down the resume several times to find those critical details. Already this candidate has wasted my time. Also it also creates the impression that the candidate is trying to hide something, so he is not mentioning certain details with clarity.
TOO MUCH INFORMATION
A good resume to me is ideally of not more than 2 pages. I have resumes that go on for pages and pages. Candidates think – “by mentioning all my skills, all my achivements, all the minutest of detail, there will be ‘something’ that the recruiter will find in it, in order to hire me. The more I write, the more I lenghten my list, the more skillful I look” More often than not, the candidates turn out the exact opposite when they face the interview. I had once got the feedback from the panel who interviewed a candidate whose resume went on for 7 pages- He is completely crazy! -the interviewer had commented.
TOO LITTLE INFORMATION
Yes, there are some candidates who provide too less informaton. Usually it is the over confident candidates who do this. They think just by looking at a few key elements in their resume- that is the great company they worked in, or the certifications they have got, or the college they studied in, the employer will just grab him. Those credentials are important to create that positive image but the lack of furthur details will do just the opposite. Provide sufficient information. Mention your role and skills in detail.
DO NOT LIE
It doesn’t make sense to lie about anything on your resume, because sooner or later the interviewer WILL find out. They have very thorough methods to do that. HR managers have told me several times, if there is a problem and the candidate comes forward and tells it to the hiring manager upfront they may be able to handle it. However, if they find out later during the reference and third party checks, it’s often too late because the lie in this stage has got documented. The matter is escalated and becomes an integrity issue which is serious matter. No matter how talented you are the company will not be able to take you in.
So next time you make your resume, keep this tips in your mind. I am sure you will get the interview call. Best of Luck !
MyPerfectResume