“We’ll call you” – why is sending your CV ineffective?

Perhaps this happened to you: you view hundreds of job ads every day, send dozens of CVs, check company profiles, contact recruiters and then all you get is thank you for submitting your application and making a promise that the employer will contact you later.

Every day we note a significant increase in the number of applications for currently open positions – with such an intensity it is impossible to invite everyone to the recruitment process. What should I do to never hear “We’ll call you later”?

Lack of attention to the appearance of the CV

CV is the only application document on the basis of which the recruiter makes the decision about inviting you to the next stage of the recruitment process. How would you like to be remembered by a recruiter? What is the effect of sending a photo of a crumpled piece of paper (yes, I also received this CV)? I suspect that if you are reading this, you want to approach the document professionally and prepare it in a specific structure. An orderly, chronologically arranged application document is your best business card. Take care of every detail!

Also remember about the format in which you save your CV – it should be a .pdf format that can be opened on any device. Unfortunately – other formats may open incorrectly or at all – and with many applications, the recruiter may miss your CV because they have many other applications that don’t require extra effort to open them.

One CV for all processes

Application documents, including CVs, should be created individually for each recruitment process. Compare the requirements sections of the job offer with how you present your experience and skills in the field. I know this process is laborious, but is worth showing that you really care about hiring. This doesn’t mean you have to change your entire CV! It is enough to correct a few key points:

• Change the job title and company name to which you are applying. While it may seem obvious, it is easy to forget it.
• Create a “highlights” section at the beginning of your resume and include information in it that matches your job requirements and your experience or skills.
• Thickening the CV information most important from the perspective of a given position – e.g. when we apply for a position related to sales in the B2B sector, and you have experience in both B2B and B2C – highlight information related to sales in the B2B area.

These three elements, introduced to your CV, will make the recruiter find the information he or she cares about at first glance. This will significantly increase the likelihood of inviting you to the next stage of recruitment!

Failure to measure the effectiveness of your CV

Prepare several versions of your CV and measure its effectiveness. It is enough to prepare a simple table in which you will save the link to the advertisement (or the name of the position and company) and information which version of the CV was sent to the company.

What versions of the CV should I prepare? It is definitely worth testing a CV with a different structure – single-page and multi-page – to check the most diverse application documents. Then check what is the so-called response rate – the response rate for each version of the CV. Once you’ve figured out which version is the most effective, try to use it as often as possible.

Of course – such tests should be carried out cyclically and not stop at one version – it is worth carrying out subsequent measurements.

Contact the Recruiter

When you apply through the website of a given employer or recruitment agency, you receive an e-mail confirmation of your application. This can be a point of contact for you when you do not receive feedback on your application. If the confirmation was not delivered by e-mail – you can try to find a recruiter from a given company using LinkedIn or directly on the company’s website.

Remember! Test your CV, contact recruiters, and see what works. Only duplicate working patterns! And most importantly – do not give up in pursuit of the goal!