Why You're Not Getting Responses to Your Applications & What to Do About it.
I started working with a new client this week and our first session covered one of the most common pain points I hear from job seekers: ‘I’m not getting any responses to my applications.’
If you’re struggling in your job search with this, read on for how to troubleshoot this roadblock.
This new client and I kicked off by looking at the list of 50 jobs she had applied to in the last year. She had three phone screens, and only one final round interview.
Her short list of jobs applied to included:
Corporate Content Writer at ThriveGlobal
Senior Director of Scheduling at A+E Networks Lifetime Network
Senior Policy Associate at the Institute for State and Local Governance within the Research Foundation of CUNY
Vice Dean of Strategy and Administration at The New School
Director of Operations at the Visiting Nurse Service of NYC
Analyst for the Office of Corporate Engagement, 10,000 Women, Goldman Sachs
After looking at this list, what is your reaction?
You might be thinking that they are all very different roles and functions (operations, content writing, strategy and administration, policy) and represent a diverse set of organizations and mission areas, such as corporate finance, higher education, entertainment, and healthcare. These roles are also quite different levels of seniority.
My client applied to these roles with mostly tailored cover letters, but with the same resume.
How much overlap might there ideally be between a resume for a content writer position at a tech company versus an operations role at a healthcare agency? How should a cover letter speak to a policy associate role versus a scheduling role? I’m sure you catch my drift: for this variety of roles and sectors, her materials would have to be very different.
That was the first reason she wasn’t getting responses to these applications.
Did I suggest she needed to get crystal clear on what type of role and organization she wants to prioritize and create one polished resume, cover letter and elevator pitch for that kind of job? No. I actually think it’s a good thing that she has a wide range of potential types of roles and sectors that she’s interested in. But, to be more effective creating tailored materials that speak to the job title and mission areas, it would help to narrow the list.
Second, we considered what a recruiter or hiring manager might see as the connection between these jobs and the roles she’s had in the past.
The resumes that landed her phone screens were for roles that connected in some way to work she had done before - the organizations were connected to the mission area she was currently in, and/or the roles were functions she had held in the past. That’s because there was a hook linking her skills to the employer’s hiring needs that made the screener feel comfortable that she could do the job.
I coach clients through a variety of pivots and this is why a double pivot (changing your role and the sector) is harder. You have to consider what the hook and connection is between what you’ve done and the role you’re applying for. It can also be tricky to show transferable experience on a resume. Not impossible, just harder.
Lastly, I asked my client about the roles she had gotten interviews for. By this point she started to realize she was getting phone screens because the recruiter could see the connection clearly. She also shared that for many of the roles, there was a person inside the organization or connected to the hiring manager who she knew. Do I even need a sentence about how important networking is to get your materials seen in a job market where so many people are applying for new jobs?
So --- what do I want you to take away from this?
If you’re like my client and your applications aren’t getting responses, review these three potential aspects of your job search and consider where you might make some tweaks:
Look and reflect on the jobs you've been applying to. How different are the roles and functions (job titles)? How different are the sectors and types of organizations? Have you been applying to a lot of different jobs with mostly the same resume and cover letters? Consider narrowing your focus a bit and really tailoring your application materials. Tools like JobScan.co can help you gauge how much of a match your resume is for a position
Consider what someone looking at your materials is looking for in a candidate. Can you easily spot the connection for why you can do this job function or why you understand the sector/mission area? If you can’t clearly articulate that hook, that’s the second reason your application may not be getting responses. Before spending a ton of time doing a tailored application, consider if someone reading it will be able to spot a connection for why you can do the role and fit into the sector.
Lastly, how much are you networking? If you’re not, that might be why you’re not hearing back, (especially if you’re trying to pivot both your role and sector). And if you’re like my client - interested in a lot of different roles and issue areas - that can actually help your approach to networking! You can center your networking approach as, “I’ve got a few ideas of sectors that I might enjoy shifting into - A, B or C. You’ve been in the A sector for a while - can I hear more about how that’s been for you, and what’s happening in the A sector right now so I can make a good decision about where I focus my job search?” Turn your options into genuine curiosity!
Need more to help you get your applications noticed? Read this piece we shared with Forbes.