A MODERN trend sees companies only respond to individuals making job applications, which they expect to interview. This method is used to save employers money so that they do not need to exert time and energy, as well as expense, to tell people that their application has been refused. What can you do to ensure that your job application reaches the top of the pile and helps you land an interview, so that you do not become a statistic for unanswered job applications?
Many employers suggest that the main reason that people are not called for an interview is the obvious mismatch between the job and the individual’s personal skills. As the employer sifts through the CVs available, there are certain criteria that the employer is looking for and these must be met by the CV and application letter, otherwise the job submission will go unanswered and you may never know why.
Before you make an application, you should check that you meet at least the minimum requirements and can tick as many items as possible on the preferred list. Your submission should match as many of the points raised in the advertisement for the position and highlight, through keywords, any points you wish to stand out.
Where the position requires five years of practical experience, and you have just one year or have just left college, quite simply, you will not meet the necessary requirements and will almost certainly be refused an interview.
Your skill is to modify your CV so that it meets the requirements for the industry; for the job that you wish to apply for. Where your past work experience and education fits the needs listed by the advertisement, you should highlight your benefits and make it easy for the employer to identify them.
Your CV and application letter must be individually updated to match the requirements of the position available. Where you are applying for a technical position within a bank, your training in chemical engineering may not be completely appropriate.
After your CV and application letter are completed, you will save yourself moving to the unanswered job application pile through simple errors, by proofreading your CV and carefully reviewing it for any typos, incorrect grammar or presenting dates and figures that are obviously incorrect.
In order to dramatically increase your change to be invited to an interview, you should ensure your application meets the job requirements. You should prepare an excellent CV and complete the application process in the manner advised by the business. It is up to you to make yourself more successful.
By Samuel Rosenberg
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Samuel Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of Axcel Finance Ltd., the leading regional microfinance institution. Share your thoughts and email your questions to [email protected]