Why Does Your CV Keep Getting Rejected?

I attended a training session where I met Ashley who is a graphic design professional. She expressed her frustrations about how she has been sending tons of applications without any success. “I have been on the lookout applying for jobs I feel I’m qualified for hoping that I will get responses but employers never call back. What might be the problem?”

I asked her if I could take a look at her CV. From her CV I pinpointed some of the issues that were the reasons her CV kept being rejected.

Having a well-crafted CV is a bridge that leads you to your dream job and employers are keen on some details to ensure that they get the best candidate.

Here are five reasons why no one is looking at your CV.

1. CV buzzwords

Remember that recruiters and employers can receive hundreds of applications per job advertised so it can be impossible for them to trawl through every CV sent. They will scan CVs quickly looking for buzzwords/keywords that match techniques, standards, skills, and competencies that are listed in the job advert.

I advised Ashley to write her CV in a way that attracts the attention of the reader immediately she needs to use the right buzzwords that truthfully match the job advert. For example, graphic design skills such as the use of Adobe Apps, Branding, Creativity, etc, should be highlighted.

2. You haven’t tailored your CV to the specific role you are applying for

This is an important point that I told Ashley to focus on. Tailoring a CV and cover letter can be time-consuming, especially if you are applying for lots of jobs. There are a couple of ways to combat this problem.

Firstly, become more selective about which jobs you apply for. Only apply for jobs that you are genuinely interested in. This will free up more time to spend on maximizing the impact of applications for jobs you are really passionate about.

Secondly, utilize the career profile at the top of your CV to add a couple of sentences or points that relate specifically to the job you are applying for. This will show potential employers that you have put some thought into your application. Ensure you address some of the job specification criteria in your CV and any relevant points above.

3. Your CV is difficult to read or contains spelling mistakes

The appearance of your CV is your first chance to make a good impression, so take care to put your best work forward. Run a spell check like Grammarly over your CV or ask a trusted professional CV writer to read over it and give you feedback.

It is also sensible to double-check your contact details to ensure your email address is spelled correctly and your phone number has the right number of digits in the right order, so when you have followed this advice you are able to receive the good news that you have been shortlisted.

4. Your salary expectations are unrealistic

If you’re required to give an expected salary in the application, you should make sure that you put a number that’s appropriate for the position.

You should research the company and the industry, using comparison sites to find how much employees with your level of experience and in similar roles earn.

5. Long periods of unexplained unemployment

There are many reasons you may have been out of work for a while; illness or injury; child-rearing; a redundancy-inspired gap year or caring for a loved one. If you have been out of work for a while, make sure you explain the reasons why in your application.

You can either put this explanation in your cover letter, where you can go into brief details of any periods of unemployment or within your work history so the information is immediately available to the reader.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into areas where you can improve your job applications to give yourself the best chance of being shortlisted and ultimately getting the job.

If you are not sure if your CV has what employers want to see then consult our professional CV writers and get A Free CV Review today!