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For 2 Years I Applied For Jobs Without an Interview, Not Again!

For 2 Years I applied for jobs and not getting interviews

Many job seekers are stuck wondering what could be going wrong with their applications as they are not getting interviews. If you fall under this category, I want to remind you that you are not alone. But also, this testimonial is to remind you that if you are willing to find out what’s wrong, there is always a solution to problems. In an earlier article this week, we highlighted the four main reasons you are not getting interviews and here we highlighted how recruiters find candidates.

Today, we are going to share with you the story of a candidate who was not getting interviews for 2 years and could not understand why. She applied for various positions, one after another and still not a single interview to her name. But that was until one day when a Cyber Café attendant pointed out that something could be wrong with her CV.

Meet the Candidate

Mercy (not her real name) is a graduate in the field of Nutrition. She was frustrated for so long from not getting interviews that her smile had gone. Now however, she is employed in a job that she loves and is happy that her frustrations are behind her.

“I had applied for so many jobs in a span of 2 years without being called for any interview – not even one’ she says. 

She says the whole time she was making applications, not at one time did the thought that something could be wrong with her CV come to mind. It had all the information she believed employers were looking for and according to her, she was qualified. But even with this conviction, she decided to seek out a second opinion.

“I recall a cyber café attendant where I used to go daily telling me that something must be wrong with my curriculum vitae. That is how I considered having my CV checked.” After searching on the internet, she decided to email Florence Mukunya, a professional CV writer at Corporate Staffing Services. They engaged in a discussion about her CV, and she decided to have it rewritten.

“I had not considered rewriting my curriculum vitae professionally, but after the service, I was called for 2 interviews and one of those led to my job today. My curriculum vitae had a professional look that lacked before; it was brief and to the point,” says Mercy.

Why Mercy was not getting interviews?

Like in Mercy’s case, most candidates never realize what they are doing wrong until someone else points it out to them. It’s like writing an essay in school; you look through it and believe it is well written and correct until it is returned to you with so many red circles that you believe the teacher hates you. Employers and recruiters will do the same to your CV, but unlike in school where your essay gets returned and you see where you made mistakes, with an application you might never know.

“From my experience, I think job seekers adopt old ways of writing the Curriculum vitae, others copy formulas from friends without paying much attention, and others have over detailed CVs which look overcrowded and not attractive to an employer. Again, some write a lot of information on the cover letter that should instead be in the curriculum vitae,” she says.

You could be making one of the mistakes mentioned above or your issue could be something totally different. According to Mercy, “I believe having a professional Curriculum vitae is very important because that’s what employers are looking for; a curriculum vitae that speaks for you in your absence.”

For anyone having a hard time getting interviews and your CV has not been checked for a second opinion, it may be worth a try. You may not even need the whole CV to be done a fresh. It could be a minor detail you are missing or your formatting is wrong and recruiters can’t see that you are qualified in the seconds they spend with your CV.

Mercy believes there is hope for everyone

If you already have a professional CV but still getting no interviews, then you need to go through your application process and identify what is wrong. Stop convincing yourself that you are qualified or that recruiters and employers are being unfair to you when you have not exhausted all options. In the current job market, getting hired will not be easy and you have to do all you must.

“My advice to candidates who are almost giving up is that there is hope in job seeking only if they go the professional way. I know God gives jobs, but He also wants us to do our part in the process and they will smile at the end of the day,” Mercy concludes.

Your issue could be different from Mercy’s, but the fact is that if you are not getting interviews there is something you are doing wrong. It could be your CV, the positions you are applying for, how you are sending your CVs or even just a matter of timing.

Have a question or a story to share? Leave your comment below.

6 Comments

  1. hi I am a telecommunication professional i have been applying for jobs to no avail can you help me with my CV

  2. I have the same problem, I apply for jobs in accounting profession without any interviews. Please help.

  3. I love reading these advices because at the you learn something new everyday. continue posting because you help alot of job seekers like me.thank you.

  4. My friend, Faith has the same problem, maybe even more than Mercy’s. she has not got interview in her public health profession despite there being opportunities, and having applied almost all.
    where do we start with her c.v. and application letter towards making it professional and acceptable?

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