Unless you have impressed someone so much, it is possible that you get interviewed more than once. Unfortunately, there are also times when you don’t even get past the first interview at all. Now before you whine about how companies can sometimes be unfair to potential candidates, you may want to assess yourself first. The chance to get to first base rest in your hands.
Here are the five possible reasons why you’re not given a chance to go through the initial interview:
1. It‘s all in your resume.
Your resume is and will always be a very powerful tool, especially when you are still trying to land a job. Any mistake can work against you. That includes misspellings and grammatical errors. You will less likely receive attention if your qualifications do not match those expected by the employer. Also, a resume without a list of references is considered inferior.
Before you submit your resume, make sure you have checked all the details. Be complete and truthful to all information. Some employers are good in scrutinizing resumes, they can tell which ones are fabricated.
2. You failed the written examination.
Some employers will conduct a written examination before the interview. There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary basis is that a written exam can eliminate those who don’t have enough idea about the job. This way, only the best among the batch of applicants can be prepped for an interview. Surely, you cannot proceed to the next level if you fail the tests.
3. There is someone much better than you.
You might believe that you have what it takes to land the position, but unfortunately, someone could be more qualified than you. This is something you don’t have a control of. You can greatly reduce the chances of being sidestepped by improving your skills.
4. You don’t have the personality.
Just because it is an accounting job, it does not mean you have to be Mr. Grinch. Friendliness, open-mindedness, and a high sense of comfort and trust to people around you still count. A lot of employers do judge people by their gut feel. If they think you are not friendly enough, they may be apprehensive of hiring you. After all, this might mean you are a hard person to talk to.
Certainly, there are some traits you cannot change about yourself, but you can try to be more approachable and confident in dealing with people.
5. You were not just nice.
This is one good reason why you should treat the receptionist or even the security guard properly. You may not be aware of it, but a number of them can actually put a good (or bad) word for you to the employer.
You don’t have to give them special treats when you submit your resume, but make sure you leave a good impression by giving them your sweetest smile or just a simple “Hi!”. This is also an excellent way to get to know more about the company’s culture. Moreover, if you land the job, you already have a potential friend to count on.
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Nice Article.
I was involved in recruitment drives for a multinational company. Specially in this recession, you get hundreds/ thousands of resumes and often recruiters do a keyword search. So, if you don’t have enough keyword in your resume, you will not clear the first elimination itself.
I believe, at that point people start writing things that they don’t know about and the real honest candidate misses the first screening.
Thanks for sharing this article.
Unfortunately, since there is limited human element (if any at all) reviewing resumes a lot of qualified people are immediately dismissed from the interviewing and hiring process. One’s carefully crafted resume may not have the right words that will get a hit from the currently popular recruiting software but one just might be a perfect fit for the job.
Who ever heard that a resume without references included was wrong!
Here are my suggestions:
1. Is your CV well structured, factual and concise so it conveys the experience and not blow by blow activities of each job?
2. Do you summarise what skills you have for the job you are applying for, rather than leaving it to the reader to extract the information?
3. Do you state why you should be given an interview? Sales people ask for the sale, so why don’t you ask for an interview?
4. Have references available, if you don’t want to disclose details, consider using quotes from your referees. Also, include reference details can be revealed at the interview stage.
5. Convey enthusiasm and drive in your wording, if you are not keen and eager, why should they be?
Hope the above points helps.
Enjoy
Robert Davison
Davison Consultancy.
Be very clear what are you currently and what is the position you are looking for.and then you have to explain your experience and qualifications for considering your resume for the specific opening..Please be specific…after all first impression is best impression..
Including references with resume/CV submission in some countries, industries or professions is considered the standard practice. However, as a former hiring manager and a resume writer, I find that in the U.S. it is assumed that a person has references and will provide them at interview stage/upon request. The sheer volume of candidates applying for open positions makes looking at references in screening stage a daunting task and unlikely to happen. Research the standard practices in your country, in your industry and based on your profession and if there is a posting, follow the instructions.
I agree with Sarah: In the USA references are generally submitted separately and not part of the resume.
Here are two more points for your list:
6. You didn’t follow simple instructions: If a job posting specifies that you need to include a cover letter, submit your information in a certain format, etc. and you ignore those guidelines, you have just eliminated yourself from the candidate pool.
7. You did not specify which position at the company you are applying for. We just tried to fill two positions at the same time. I can’t tell you how many candidates assumed that we had only one opening and thought it was OK to make us “guess” which job they were interested in or qualified for.