Written by Vaclav Koranda

Top 5 Reasons Why You Never Hear Back After Applying For a Job

Many people wonder why they never receive a response after hitting ‘send’ on an email with their resume attached or completing an online job application. While this isn’t exactly ghosting (since the other party hasn’t initiated communication—read more about ghosting in one of my previous articles here), it’s still a disheartening experience. So, why does this happen? Is it something you can avoid, or is it simply an inevitable part of the hiring process?

Here are the top five reasons you might not be hearing back after applying for a job:

You Weren’t Fully Qualified

Most job descriptions are written with very specific requirements. For instance, if a role calls for an engineer with five years of experience and you’re a recent graduate with only one internship, it’s unlikely you’ll receive a call. Hiring is straightforward, but firing can be costly. Naturally, companies aim to select the most qualified candidates and filter out those who don’t meet the criteria. It’s not personal—it’s business.

To avoid disappointment, refrain from applying to jobs where you don’t meet at least 80% of the qualifications. For highly competitive roles, aim to fulfill 100% of the requirements and find additional value you can bring to the table to stand out from the crowd.

Read more here: How to Convince an Employer to Give You a Chance

You Haven’t Tailored Your Resume or Cover Letter

Job descriptions are packed with keywords that describe the skills, experience, and attributes a company is looking for in applicants. If you fail to include these keywords, your application can easily get lost in the torrent of submissions. That’s why carefully reading the job description and optimizing your resume and cover letter with relevant keywords for each application is essential.

For the same reason, I advise against using automated bots powered by AI to mass-submit your applications across job boards. Personalized applications are far more effective in passing ATS and grabbing a recruiter’s attention.

Read more here: Are Cover Letters Dead? (Incl. a Free Template)

Your Resume Isn’t Formatted Properly

You might think fancy formatting will make your resume stand out, but automated programs don’t care how “pretty” a document looks. In fact, these programs often struggle to read certain formatting elements, such as columns, tables, and icons. Help the system out—keep your formatting simple and concise. The best approach is to use a professional resume template, such as the one provided here.

Your Resume is Substantially Different from Your Online Profile

LinkedIn, Indeed, and other online profile platforms are powerful tools, so it’s crucial to ensure that the information on them aligns with your resume. This might seem to conflict with the idea of tailoring your resume—but it’s actually just common sense. While the details and emphasis may vary, key elements such as job titles, employers, years of experience, and other fundamental details should always match.

The key takeaway is simple: always tell the truth. And if you want to lie, you have to know how—read about it here: Catch Me If You Can: How to Lie on Your Resume 

The Company Received 100 Resumes for This One Job Posting, and Yours Came 99th

The global economy is struggling, and the job market reflects this reality. Popular companies are now receiving hundreds, even thousands, of applications for each vacancy. Average companies are receiving dozens, and even relatively unknown companies that once had difficulty hiring are now inundated with resumes.

It’s not uncommon for companies to become overwhelmed just days after posting a job. In many cases, they stop reviewing applications that come in later, as processing them all becomes practically impossible. This makes submitting your resume or application early a critical factor in standing out.

So How Do You Break Through?

It is quite simple: You have to become a Supercandidate.

If you want to beat everyone else, you must be better than everyone else. Make your job search your job. Every day, scout relentlessly through job boards and analyze job advertisements. Consult senior professionals in your industry, or, even better, work with a seasoned career coach to identify additional qualifications, certifications, or skills that could give you an edge. Tailor your resume and cover letter each single time to clearly demonstrate how you meet all the criteria, emphasizing your extras and how they can add value, and how motivated you are to join the company. Use active language to describe your experiences, provide concrete examples, and quantify your achievements wherever possible. Apply to all jobs you are qualified for the same day the vacancy appears.

Or…

Find Your Blue Ocean

I firmly believe that everyone deserves a job. However, not everyone can be a superstar candidate as described earlier. When a role attracts an abundance of highly qualified applicants, the likelihood of securing an interview becomes slim. On the other hand, applying for positions where competition is weaker—and where none of the candidates may fully meet the job criteria—greatly improves your chances.

If you’re tired of sending out countless applications without hearing back, I recommend focusing on opportunities where competition is limited. This approach can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview.

Read how to find your blue ocean here: How to Beat Tough Competition on the Job Market

Good luck!

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Do you need my personal assistance? Simply send me your resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile at vaclav@getyourdreamjob.co and I will come back to you!

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