Tips for getting Interview Offers
If you have been applying for jobs for which you meet the minimum criteria but are not being asked to interview it is probably time to take a critical look at your CV and application forms. Most of the time, though, it’s much more difficult to pinpoint why you’re not getting called for interviews. But if it keeps happening, you’ve got some modifications to do.
* Do not send the same generic covering letter and CV to a multitude of jobs. Modify both your letter and CV to each specific job application.
* Think for yourself whether you are demonstrating your applications about what you know about the company does, what its products are, what the job is about and how your skills, experience and personality relate to what the job and the organisation require? The written application you send is all the employer has to inform them when making a decision about who to short-list for interview.
* When you make speculative applications, make sure you follow up you initial enquiry. Call them within a few days to ensure they have received your application. If they do not offer you even an informal interview, try to negotiate a short meeting with them at a time convenient to them. You will know by their tone if it is time to thank them and put down the phone or whether a bit of charm and persuasion will get you a foot in the door to chat.
* If you’ve been sending out the same resume and same cover letter to every employer, you might as well stop wasting your time. In many cases, employers will quickly toss one-size-fits-all documents.
* If you don’t have the skills, experience and credibility a particular job requires, you’ll be dismissed from consideration. You’ll be far better off diversifying your job search instead of constantly competing with hundreds or sometimes thousands of other job seekers by restricting yourself to online or print job ads.
* You’ll boost your own psyche by remembering job search rejection can be utterly beyond your control. You can increase your chances of being among handful of chosen candidates by critically evaluating your job search tactics and tools and, if necessary, changing your ways.
* Make an appointment with your careers adviser to review and improve them. You may also find it useful to look at job application advice and CVs and covering letters.