#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – What to Do if You Keep Hearing ‘No’ from Companies . Great REad!

When you’re on the job hunt and you get hit with “We’ll give you a call,” but the call never comes, it can become quite frustrating. Not getting any answer is sometimes more discouraging than getting a rejection. But in the job-seeking world, you will often find yourself receiving more negative answers, rather than positive ones.

The real reason behind it may be related more to the technology that supports the recruiting system, rather than to your overall job skills.

Recruiting software can often be a burden

The recruiting process has suffered many changes throughout the years, in the hopes of successfully implementing new tools that can help the HR department and streamline the entire process. And while some of these technologies have turned out to be quite helpful, such as job platforms that connect employers and job seekers, others are a constant pain for both recruiters and applicants.

Online job application questionnaires are often stiff and redundant and do not help any of the parties involved. For example, there is no real need to elaborate on your tasks and duties at your previous job, if you have already mentioned you have worked as a school teacher. Any recruiter should be able to tell what your tasks were if you taught English for high school students, but despite that, most applicant tracking systems (ATS) require an answer that is already obvious. Instead, they should be focusing more on your accomplishments and skills, in order to successfully determine the real difference between qualified and underqualified applicants.

“The recruiting process has been dehumanized and automated in a way that has become inefficient. We focus more on intimidating and discouraging candidates by using inefficient technologies and making them go through pages of questions that are not always relevant in the hiring process,” says Angela Ross, HR Manager at Flash Essay.

Take advantage of tools designed to help job seekers

What most ATS do is they screen resumes based on certain keywords that match the job description. If your resume does not include those exact same keywords, your application will most definitely not reach the hands of a recruiter. Fortunately, technology can also be used in your advantage this time, as there are multiple websites that specialize in writing resumes or intent letters, to fit the criteria of an ATS. Those tools are specially designed with recruiting technology in mind to help employees get their resumes through the screening process and on the interviewer’s desk.

“Applicant tracking systems follow a strict pattern and some resumes, although filled with relevant information, do not pass the system,” says Amy Jones, Employment Specialist at WriteLoad. “Keep your resume as simple and concise as possible and include information from the job description. Avoid unnecessary information that may not be ATS-friendly.”

Spelling mistakes can be the end of your resume, as the system can’t go past them and will not understand that you meant to write “time-management” instead of “time-management”. So, make sure you perform multiple spell-checks before submitting your application. If you want to be 100% sure you don’t have any mistakes, run your resume through a spell checker after you have finished it, to avoid all possible mistakes.

Don’t let rejection take a toll on you

Sometimes, the fear of getting rejected can make you lose focus before even getting to the interview. While sending resumes out to every single job offer you may have heard of is not the best way to approach the situation, neither is giving up and laying in bed all day, hoping to hear from that company you sent your resume to three months ago. You have to make sure you keep your focus and only apply to positions that are suited for you. Otherwise, you might find yourself getting a job that does not bring you any kind of fulfillment. Make a primary goal of your job-hunting process to only apply to positions that truly interest you and fit your skills.

Another mistake that most candidates make after a few rejections is to start overanalyzing the entire process. While recognizing your mistakes and correcting them is part of growing up, constantly going over certain situations and focusing on what went wrong can only work in your detriment. Remind yourself that this is part of the process, learn from it and move on to the next one.

“Try reaching out to the hiring manager and ask how you can improve. You may get the exact answers you were looking for,” said Daniel Bennet, Hiring Manager at EssaySupply. “For example, if you applied for a sales position, you might be able to learn that, although your skills were perfect for the job, you might have come out as shy, which is not a good thing for a salesperson.”

Expand your job search

While nobody says you should go looking for an accountant position if you have 7 years of experience as a VP of Marketing, looking for other jobs in the same filed, such as Marketing Officer, or Marketing Manager. You might even want to consider going for a lower position at first and, with your skills, get promoted in no time. There is no point in narrowing your search, just because the job title does not include the word “manager”. Apply, go to the interview and discuss more with the recruiter when you get there. You have no reason to turn down a job that fits your salary expectations, is close to your home and offers an enjoyable working environment just because it does not have a certain title on the door.

Landing a job is not always an easy task and the process can sometimes take out the worst of you. What is important is to analyze the situation, understand that is not always your fault for not getting that callback and focus on moving forward, rather than getting stuck on the last negative response you got.

GlassDoor.com | June 12, 2019  | Posted by Sylvia Giltner