Have you submitted several unsuccessful job applications lately?
There is nothing more disheartening as a job hunter than finding a role you’re really excited about, putting together an application and checking your inbox religiously, only to be ignored.
This is particularly frustrating when you know you’d be an excellent candidate for the role; it just appears as though the recruiter doesn’t see it the same way.
But the reality is, it is your CV that is probably letting you down.
When a bad CV fails to showcase your qualifications and key skills effectively, it can quickly end up on the rejection pile.
The good news is you can pull it back! Here are five ways to save a failing CV and secure yourself an interview.
Review your target jobs
Firstly, spend some time looking at similar roles that have been advertised on job boards, making a note of the key skills, experience and qualifications that employers are asking for.
Doing research in this way can highlight exactly what it’s going to take for you to land your chosen role in your chosen industry.
This way, you can take proactive steps towards meeting the criteria and ensuring that your CV accurately reflects this.
Perhaps your target jobs are looking for specific degrees or placement experience? Once you know more about the most in-demand requirements in your sector, you can look to adjust your CV or upskill accordingly.
Ask recruiters for feedback
When it comes to the job search, the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. Don’t just accept that you’re not getting any responses to your job applications and take action.
Although not all recruiters will be able to offer individual feedback (some are dealing with hundreds of applications at any one time), if you ask, you’ll be surprised how many are happy to give you a little bit of their time to help.
So, reach out to those recruiters you’ve sent your CV to and politely ask what it was about your application that meant you didn’t make it to the next stage of the recruitment process.
This can give you some valuable insights that allow you to make positive changes to your CV for future applications.
Remember, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
Fill any gaps
When writing your CV, space is precious, and you need to make sure that you only include the best and most relevant information.
That being said, sometimes this can go too far the other way, and you actually end up leaving out details that could further your application.
Look back over your CV and look at the list of desirable skills and experience that you made during your earlier research.
Where are the gaps in your CV?
If it's the case that you have experience or skills in certain areas, but you chose to forgo these details, or perhaps you just didn’t draw enough attention to them, you need to fill in the gaps.
You could even create yourself a checklist by looking at what the employer has asked for on the job description, then make sure that you’ve covered as much of this as possible.
Upskill with courses
It might be that your CV isn’t getting the attention it deserves because, although you have plenty of academic experience, you don’t have all the industry-specific skills the employer has set out.
In this situation, taking a course or two can help you to boost your key skills section and make yourself instantly more employable.
Best of all, there are so many online courses available nowadays that you can study from home and fit these around your lifestyle.
Alternatively, you could study at your local college or university if you wanted a little extra support and a more in-depth learning experience.
But however you prefer to learn, upskilling can give your failing CV an instant boost, and help you achieve the best salaries on the market.
Keep your CV under two pages
When updating your CV after facing a number of rejections, the temptation can be to cram it full of every bit of experience, every achievement and every qualification you’ve ever received.
However, you need to remember that recruiters don’t have time to read through pages and pages of information about your past, and they certainly won’t review a CV that is over two A4 pages long.
Therefore, you need to get the perfect balance between including lots of detail whilst keeping it under two pages.
This can be done by cutting out older, less relevant information (like your paper round and GCSE projects) and replacing this with your most recent and relevant skills, experience and qualifications.
Throughout all of this, it’s important to remember that though the job hunt can be tough, you don’t have to fall into a cycle of rejection and ghosted job applications.
By following our five tips above, you can boost your CV and instantly make yourself more employable.
Ready to apply for a new role? Explore live vacancies on our job board or speak to an expert to help you with your search.
Search jobs Speak to an expert
Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of StandOut CV, a leading UK careers advice website. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.
About the author
Andrew Fennell
Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of StandOut CV, a leading UK careers advice website. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.
