The invisible man - Why recruiters aren't replying to you.

 I thought following my last post, that it would be a nice idea to give some generic feedback and advice to candidates who are looking for a new job but becoming frustrated by the lack of feedback from recruiters or HR departments.

 All too often, I notice posts on LinkedIn from disgruntled candidates who seem a little disillusioned by the whole recruitment process.  With many referencing a lack of feedback or a genuine surprise at the lack of interest in their profile/CV. In the modern age, with so many different ways to engage with recruiters or potential employers, it is ironic that in some cases it has become more difficult to find out where you stand.

 The following article attempts to address a few of the areas where you may be going wrong with a couple of tips to set you back on the right path; of course, this is a non-exhaustive list but in my experience the following are a good place to start.

 The 411

Let’s start with the facts: What are you applying for? On what forum? With whom?

If looking for a response from your application, it is so important nowadays to do your due diligence. It really does amaze me the amount of people who apply or show interest in job postings which are clearly fake or an attempt to generate CV’s or profile views: Literally every day I see another “recruiter” looking to hire “all positions in all countries” with a strong following of 10, 15 or even 20 thousand people interested. A phrase I was taught early on in my career was to “never expect what you don’t inspect” – take a few minutes to check out the job-poster, recruitment business or employer before applying to avoid immediate disappointment.

 Who are you kidding?

My next tip may come across a little harsh but, if taken the right way, is very useful.

Unless your other half is asking loaded questions about their weight, dress sense, friends etc, then honesty is always the best policy. Sometimes, admittedly, it can be hard to be honest with yourself but when applying for jobs it’s really important to take a second to stop and think; Am I a fit for this job? Do I meet the criteria of the JD and if so, is this clearly highlighted in my CV?

An easy way to do this is to take the human element out of this and think – If I were recruiting this role and I received my CV, would I shortlist it for the position? If the answer is yes then great, if no, then maybe it’s better to save yourself the heartache.

Be a Peacock!

Another thing that may be harming you in your applications is the application itself!

Let’s take a step back here and think. You have spotted a job online, you have researched the company and found it to be both genuine and of interest. You reviewed the JD or advert and decided that you have the skills and experience to meet the employer’s expectations so the next step is applying for the job (of course using the instructions provided to do so).  At this point, having decided this is something that you want, it is so important to give yourself the best chance of standing out to a potential employer.

I recently read in another article that on average, an employer or recruiter spends less than 10 seconds reviewing each CV before they make a decision on suitability. Experience tells me that sometimes this number is even less! Knowing this, assess your CV and decide; would my CV impress in 8-10 seconds?

If you would like to dust the old CV off and are looking for tips then www.powerandwaterjobs.com posted a great article recently providing advice and tips that I’m sure you will find really useful. You can find it by following this link: https://www.powerandwaterjobs.com/pages/1915-does-your-cv-open-doors

It’s not what you know…

So goes the old saying; “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and whilst I don’t always agree with this, it is impossible to deny the influence a well-placed contact can have when applying for jobs.

Now it’s a given that nobody wants to become that annoying guy that is constantly calling their mates/acquaintances/guy they saw in the street once and asking for a favour but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for help if relevant.

In the Power/Oil/EPC/Construction type markets people are very transient and constantly meet and work together on different projects etc. If you’re applying for a job and you know somebody who works there and, importantly, would vouch for your work. Why not contact them and ask if you can include them as a reference on your CV or better still ask them to refer you to the hiring manager or HR division.

At the end of the day, business networking is all about helping one another, if you can reciprocate down the line then great – it’s funny how things pan out.

 Pinball

An interesting statistic I read recently was that something like 90% of sales people do not follow up on a sales call. 90%?! There is a reason why 90% of sales people struggle to make a career in sales!

Think of your application like a sales call. In many ways it is only you, or your CV, is the product. If you want to hear back and have followed all of the above so genuinely feel like you should be considered for the opportunity, then pick up the phone.

Sometimes genuine mistakes are made, a profile can be overlooked or deleted in error – worst case scenario you haven’t been shortlisted but at least you can find out why and perhaps ask for feedback or tips…

At the end of the day it is better to know, to learn and to apply any advice to your next application.

To summarize, if you are wondering why you aren’t getting the response you’d hoped for start with the basics because sometimes even a small change in your method can make all the difference.

 I hope the above is useful and wish you luck in your applications!!!