
Why Am I Struggling to Get an Interview?
Searching for a job can be a tough process. Sometimes sending out a resume is like dropping it down a well. Other times you may get a few nibbles but no real interviews with hiring teams. If this is happening to you and you’re wondering what’s going wrong, this article will help.
Top Seven Reasons You Can’t Get an Interview
- Don’t overly rely on job boards. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster seem like they’d be a great resource. They usually aren’t. Companies get flooded with applicants from these sites so your resume can easily get lost. It’s not a personalized process and it’s hard to stand out. Working directly with a recruiter is a much more effective way to get noticed by employers.
- How is your resume? One big mistake we see is that your credentials list your job responsibilities but not really what you did. Try revamping your resume with action verbs that show what you accomplished on the job. For example, “Led sales team to achieve 10% over monthly quota consistently.” Or, “Built social media following from 500,000 to 900,000 in six months.”
- Speaking of your resume, we tell candidates repeatedly to tailor each application to fit the job. It’s worth repeating because it’s just too easy to hit “send” without taking time to retool your credentials. The reality is it takes a little more upfront time, but you’ll get more interviews. It’s always better to send out fewer resumes and get more interviews than the other way around.
- Are you applying for the right jobs? Make sure you’re only applying for positions where you fit about 75% of the job description. Otherwise, you’ll waste your time. If you’re not getting interviews ask yourself if you’re qualified on paper to do the work. You may feel like you could do the job but if your credentials don’t match up, your employer won’t realize that.
- How long is your resume? Shorter resumes are less likely to be discarded by a recruiter, unfortunately. A one to two-page resume for a job seeker in the first decade of their career is standard. However, the truth is, even if you’re more tenured, a five or 10-page resume just won’t be read. Keep it concise and tailored to the job you’re seeking to improve the chances of an interview.
- If you have a gap in your work history that you don’t address in a cover letter, you may not get as many interviews. This is especially true if it’s the first thing a recruiter sees at the top of your resume. You can list your employment by years instead of months if that helps. A cover letter can help with an explanation of why the gap occurred, why you left the job, and how the issue resolved itself. (Such as an illness or injury that you’ve recovered from.)
- Skip the objective section of the resume and add more skills. Objectives are old-school; the employer knows your goal is to find a job. You can replace the objectives with a career summary section that highlights your biggest accomplishments.
Looking for a Job?
The Custom Group of Companies is standing by to help you get more interviews. We partner with employers and match qualified candidates with the best jobs. Find out how we can help.

