It can be very frustrating putting all your effort into creating a professional CV, sending it out, and not getting a response from potential employers. We often forget that even the slightest mistake or information that has been omitted can put an employer off when it comes to taking a look at your particular CV. Here are a few reasons why you are not getting the response that you are after:

• Time: recruitment companies receive so many job applications and CVs daily. Research shows that for every job position which is advertised, companies received approximately 118 applications of which only 20% are called for interviews. Due to time being so limited, and the amount of CVs received for each position, recruiters and companies do not have time available to acknowledge and thank each person for their application. As a result no response from a company or recruiter, does unfortunately mean that you were not considered for the particular position that you applied for.
• Incorrect application: now this may sound silly but you might have incorrectly uploaded your application form. (This happens when you upload your CV to a different position than what you were applying for – typically clicking upload when you might be on an adjacent job and not on the job that you want) This is why reading and following the instructions when applying for a new job is so important. Reading the fine print could save you a lot of time and frustration at the end of the day. Also, you may not have received a response because you have sent them an email instead of using their job portal/website to apply for the position you want.
• Incorrect qualifications: yes, you heard that correctly, you might not have the correct qualifications at all for the position. Keep in mind that when you apply for a position, it’s very important to read thoroughly regarding the terms and conditions and what is required of the position. You cannot apply for an accountant job if you do not have an accounting degree or even a diploma. If you are in the process of completing a degree or even a diploma, it’s a very good idea to state this within your CV so that the recruiters are aware of your current or even future studies. You could also add to your CV that even though you might not have a certain skill or even certain experience, state that you are willing to go for training to either gain that skill or even acquire a new skill altogether. Employers are keen to see people who are willing to learn, in order to improve their chances of success. It can be very easy to just apply for any type of available job and hope to find something – this however is seldom very useful or successful. It may count in your favour if you complete courses relevant to the type of work/position you are applying for. This would also show the employer/recruiters that you are always eager to learn and are open to new challenges.
• Internal hiring: another reason for not receiving a response could be that the company prefers to hire somebody who they know or they might even want to do an internal hire where they hire someone from within the company. Your application form and CV could have been spot on, however because someone from within the company had more experience or even certain qualifications, they were called for the interview instead. Many companies prefer internal hiring as it’s a lot simpler because of how much easier talent acquisition can be found within the company.
• Screening protocols: upon sending in your job application and CV, there is normally a specific process of screening events that take place. For starters, the application form and CV is screened by an applicant tracking system (ATS) which searches for specific search words which assess both your requirements as well as your qualifications. This is another reason why it is of utmost importance that you make use of the correct search words as found within the job descriptions to give your CV a better chance of being seen and selected. If the ATS finds your application successful, only then will someone from a company have a look at your CV to see if you are suitable for the position. Afterward, a few other checks can be performed such as a background check. Along with your information and qualifications being assessed, employers/companies are also looking at your online presence to gain an even better picture of who you are and what you spend your time on. Studies show that 70% of employers screen possible candidates using social media. If they see anything that does not look very professional, the chances of them selecting you for an interview are very slim – so try to keep this in mind when it comes to your social media presence/profile such as Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, or even Twitter.