Applying for a job is often a tedious and seemingly everlasting task. You send in your resume through the company’s website and get an automated response thanking you for your interest and assuring you that “one of our representatives will be in touch shortly!” Weeks go by, and still nothing. You find yourself wanting at least a note letting you know they are not interested. Something to stop you from keeping your hopes up at least!

The reality is you probably won’t hear back, and you are left wondering “Why?” The answer could be a combination of a few things. Here's the top 7 reason's why:

1. LinkedIn profile not updated
   
   Make sure all of your skills and expertise are clearly highlighted in your LinkedIn profile.  A lot of recruiters/HR personnel search using key words, and if they don’t find them in your profile, they may just move on to the next candidate
   
   
2. Resume not descriptive enough
   
   Same idea as the LinkedIn profile. If your resume is not detailed enough, a hiring manager (or whoever is doing the hiring) will pass right over it. Each bit of experience should have bullet points or sentences describing exactly what you did, what technologies you were exposed to, and what valuable skills you gained by working there.
   
   
3. Resume too descriptive
   
   With that being said, don’t be that person who lists every single thing they have ever done on your resume. Hiring managers don’t care about the summer you worked as a lifeguard, or the time you made the honor roll in high school. Make sure to be selective and concise when creating your resume.
   
   
4. Not catering your resume to the job you are applying for 
   
   Hiring managers are looking for a very particular set of skills when combing over applicant resumes. Be sure to read the job description very carefully and highlight the skills you think the hiring manager will be looking for.
   
   
5. Not applying to the right jobs 
   
   Candidates often times have the tendency to overlook some key requirements in a job description. “5+ years with experience using Java? Well I have never used it before but I can learn!” Having that type of mentality will almost guarantee you not getting a call back. You need to make sure you are applying for jobs that you are qualified for and can realistically get.
   
   
6. Simple mistakes (wrong or outdated information, typos etc) 
   
   This one seems self-explanatory, but you would be amazed how many resumes I read through with typos and grammatical errors. It automatically makes me assume that you either didn’t care enough to spell check your CV, or that you don’t have a great grasp on the English language. Almost every job description requires “excellent written and verbal skills”, so be sure to keep this in mind when crafting your CV. An easy way to get your resume passed over is by ignoring or overlooking simple grammatical mistakes.
   
   
7. Because you aren’t talking to the right recruiter! 
   
   Every recruiter is different. Some specialize in tech, others in finance, others in HR etc. Even furthermore, many recruiters specialize within their industry (C level recruiters vs entry level recruiters). You need to make sure to be in contact with the right recruiter, who has enough insight and resources to help you land your dream job!