Reasons Why Your Resume Isn't Getting a Response

John Krautzel
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Do you find yourself applying for loads of jobs but getting hardly any responses? It could be your resume that's to blame. Here are some reasons why your job application isn't getting you the attention you deserve, along with tips for writing a better resume.

Does your resume start with an objective statement? Craft a better resume by ditching this common waste of space. Many career experts advise that objective statements, which express your career goals, are out of vogue. While it's great to have ambition, your future plans say very little to your employer about your suitability for the advertised role.

Rather than giving the prominent space at the top of your resume to an objective statement that does little to serve your interests, use it to highlight your key achievements. When crafting this section, think carefully about the type of position for which you are applying. A better resume gives most prominence to skills, qualifications and experiences that are relevant to the job that the applicant wants to land.

When listing jobs on your resume, make sure you are not simply listing your basic duties and responsibilities. A potential employer wants to see that you have more to offer than simply showing up and doing what you have to do to hold down a job. To write a better resume, think about particular challenges that you took on at work and how you excelled at those challenges.

Facts and figures can help contextualize your achievements and make them more tangible to a potential employer. Rather than saying that you managed a team of salespeople in your last role, tell the employer how many people you managed. Similarly, if you came up with an innovation that reduced costs for your former employer, write down the dollar amount by which you reduced them. "Reduced costs for the business" is marginally impressive, but "reduced costs by $100,000 a year" is more likely to make a potential employer sit up and take notice of your resume.

Above all, make sure your resume is as concise and well-written as it can be. Shun jargon in favor of clear language, ditch filler words, and avoid annoying resume buzzwords. Have a friend proof-read the resume to make sure it communicates your message clearly. Of course, your resume also needs to be free from spelling mistakes. Again, drafting in a friend for proof-reading can help you to create a better resume in this respect.

You can write a better resume by cutting out unnecessary fluff, being specific about your achievements, and making sure your spelling and grammar are perfect. Making these changes to your resume can improve your chances of getting a positive response to your next job application.

 

Photo courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Douglas thanks for the reminder. So very true. NEVER give a company your social security number until they are ready to make you an offer. Then they will need it to complete a background check on you.

  • Douglas G.
    Douglas G. •

    To top it all off, job seekers need to be wary of online employment "applications" that require a social security number. Also, be aware that if you come across one, and stop filling it out, they WILL get back to you. They'll tell you that they're reviewing your qualifications (even though you never actually submitted any), and encourage you to go back and complete your form. If you read between the lines, what they're really saying is "WE WANT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER". Don't fall for it - ever.
    The water gets pretty murky out there…

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Patricia it is true that they can probably figure out our age quickly enough. Try not putting dates on your education if you can help it. I know it's hard - I struggle with the same issue. Now I just list my master's degree without putting a date on it because I completed it 15 yrs ago. Sadly employers are not impressed because it's old and most of what I learned is out of date. You just have to impress upon them that you have a ton of experience and skills and that you are willing to learn any and all new technology.

  • PATRICIA C.
    PATRICIA C. •

    This info is all great but what about listing education that isn't current. As an older job seeker this is a deterent for those employers not interested in hiring the older job seeker, although we don't have to divulge age they can pretty much figure it out how old you are if they do the math.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    I am not trying to make light of the plights of older job seekers as I am one of them. @Michael, you could explain the "job hopping" in your cover letter if that helps. Employers today know (or should know) that many of us are doing what we can to survive even if that means short-term jobs. Remember, though, that you should typically only include about the past 10 years on your resume. What happens many times is that an employer will view your resume and will think - oh he won't stay with us once he finds something better. This is why you need to talk this up in your cover letter - letting the hiring manager know that you are seeking long-term employment. And @Rhonda, you don't have to use an objective or summary statement on your resume. Companies seem to be moving away from that portion of the resume. I don't have all of the answers either. All we can do is keep trying. The job market is slowly turning back around again and hiring is starting to increase. Keep doing what you are doing and the job will come.

  • Rhonda S.
    Rhonda S. •

    Yes, I place an objective statement on my resume because I am applying for a certain type of job and I revise my resume to fit the job description by including the key words so my resume can pass the scanning process. I get pads the first interview which is the phoneor in person with a recruit. It is the second interview that I do not get. The interview or recruiter say nice resume but we have no openings right now. What I do not understand is that you call me for a job and now that you see me in person there are no jobs. I dress like I want the job or position but no go.

  • Michael Vinson
    Michael Vinson •

    I am in my mid 50's, and throughout my life, I have always been blue-collar, and have never worked anywhere more than five years, with most two or less, some even as little as six months. As such, most employers see this as simply 'job hopping' to find a better paycheck. Granted, some of it is, because I have been in situations where any job was better than none, and took whatever I could find at the moment, moving on when something better and more realistic appeared. But much of it was simply jobs that ended through company closures and losses of contracts, over which I had no control. There are a couple that I was hired for the specific purpose of assisting in closing a facility, which meant our success put myself and others out of a job.
    These 'helpful tips' sites are great I suppose for those who are in, or are seeking, professional careers, and have a four-year degree, or even a two-year degree working on a four. But how about those of us without that, particularly the older crowd like myself? There are a great many of us out here who either don't have a college education at all, or have nothing more than a Liberal Arts degree, which accomplishes little if anything. We have given up on any hopes or dreams of a 'career'. We simply need a job, one that will put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads.
    My job history, and that of many others, doesn't have those positions where we were allowed to excel to any degree, or to have those great accomplishments that look so nice on a resume. We came to work, punched a clock, put in our time and went home. Our 'contribution' if you will, was simply filling a space on an assembly line, a seat in a delivery truck or forklift.
    As such, we are forced to create a resume that is simply a work history, and unfortunately chronological, which is an immediate giveaway to our age. When filling out applications online, I have seen far too many where the company description extols the virtues of the 'youth and vitality' of their workforce. When I see that I find it pointless to continue the application process. Even when I do continue, it's no surprise a couple days later when I receive an email stating " we find your qualifications compelling, but we have decided to move forward with another candidate", meaning they've found someone else thirty years younger who will be around awhile.
    I am open for suggestions..

  • Arsham A.
    Arsham A. •

    I agree. Objective is then you work 5 years in one company and want to shift to better position. i's a self recommendation to a person who already knows you.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    All great points. Yes it is true that many companies hire and promote from within and that they have to post the job just to cover themselves and protect from lawsuits. I, too, have seen job postings with extremely specific skills and qualifications - all the while knowing that they will only hire from within. The ATS is not going away unfortunately. More companies seem to have jumped on the bandwagon with the ATS. So, for job seekers, make sure that you use a lot of the same wording (keywords) from the posting in your resume. The ATS is set up based upon keywords and, if your resume is lacking, it will be discarded. The hiring manager only sees the resumes that have passed the system. So make sure that you are specific when you apply for a position and that you are using their keywords. That's the first step. When you get in for the interview - yes sell yourself. That step really hasn't changed. @John, having your resume professionally done is certainly the preferred way to go rather than having someone close to you look at it. Of course they are going to say that it's perfect. Look around in your hometowns for services to help you out. Check out your libraries if you still have some in your area. Check out the unemployment offices. Try to use a recruiter if you can - they will usually help you out with your resume because they are representing you to the company so they want to look good also. Check at your local campuses for classes offered in how to write a resume or how to interview, etc. Take advantage of whatever you can find to help you out. And network, network, network.

  • Ken D.
    Ken D. •

    The reasons sited below are on point. A key one is there is already a candidate chosen but for legal reasons a posting is provided even if you are an internal candidate. The next is the Applicant Tracking System. You are trying to game a computer with the highest percentage of matches before being sent to a human being. The interview is a bunch of predetermined questions approved by HR. For older employees their resume gives them away and are put aside. The system and market is skewed towards the employer unless you have a highly sough after skill.

  • Shelley L.
    Shelley L. •

    I have found that since each manager is a different person, what they like or dislike varies so much that there really isn't a perfect resume...Back in the day...one could sell themselves in person, whereas now.. you are a piece of paper at the mercy or someone who might not like your opening statement..is having a bad day, or as said in a previous comment, already has a person in mind Even if you fit all the qualifications.. even getting inside the door is hard.

  • CHRIS C.
    CHRIS C. •

    i travel a lot - most businesses have empty rooms with vacant work stations. but lots of posted jobs = promoting from within and combining jobs. long and specific qualification descriptions = promoting existing staff, not an actual new job opportunity. if you haven't found a job yet - stop looking, your retired now.

  • John W.
    John W. •

    I would advise against friends proofing your resume. Give it to someone you know, but not well. A veiled set of eyes never helps in this important task.

  • Phillip B.
    Phillip B. •

    Also, you may fit the job description, but you have to much experience and they do not want to pay you for what you know

  • Janet A.
    Janet A. •

    I agree -- any time you see a really specific (and generally obscure) piece of software or a really particular skillset, you can be sure they're looking to hire from within but there's something in company policy that requires an external search first.

  • Jerry K.
    Jerry K. •

    Hi Douglas. I have had this happen to me, and the only way I know this happened is because I knew somebody on the inside who confided in me.

  • Douglas G.
    Douglas G. •

    Hi Vanessa - Here's the biggest reason resumes don't get a response. In almost every case, the hiring company already has chosen someone for the job. But, to cover their backs, and to not have to pay fines for not hiring minorities, veterans, etc., they have to run an ad.
    Did you ever wonder why the list of abilities is so long and precise? It's because the person they're hiring has those abilities, to one degree or another. They can now hire that person, stating that he (or she - but most likely he) is the best suited candidate for the job, and no one can argue that they didn't do it fairly.
    Ah, internet resumes. A wonderful… tool. But not much good for landing a job.

  • Brandon H.
    Brandon H. •

    Vanessa Van from my experience with this very issue the only thing you can do is hope you get an interview and then explain to the hiring manager why you have gaps. The problem of course, is getting to the actual interview. It's almost a no win situation and, trust me, I feel your pain

  • vanessa vann'
    vanessa vann' •

    What happens when you have gaps on your resume when you are on disabulity?

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