Here are 14 Reasons Why You are Not Getting Interview Calls

According to Glassdoor, each job posting attracts 250 resumes.

Out of which 4-6 candidates will get the chance to interview, ultimately selecting 1.

What are the chances of you getting hired?

How to beat the odds?

You may feel like you're doing everything right.

You've created a resume, and a cover letter, and applied through portals but still have not heard back.

Wait a minute! Let's rewind. ⏪

Are you sure you did everything? Is it done the right way?

This is the question you need to ask yourself.

This is also the reason why you are not getting interview calls from LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed or any other place you are applying to.

Now there is no magic spell to make the recruiter fall in love with you.

But we have some tips to save you from all the heartaches and headaches from rejections. 😉

So before you apply for the next job, retrace your steps and see if you have taken care of the below-mentioned things. 👇

14 Reasons You Are Not Getting Interview Calls

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Click here to connect 1:1 with expert professionals in your field. The first session is free!

1. Your resume is boring and not standing out

Recruiters receive a lot of applications for a single job.

On average, a recruiter spends only 7 seconds scanning a resume. 

It is the first impression of you in front of the recruiter.

Consider it as the first date. Dress well to impress. 

That's what you should aim for. And for the love of your career, stay away from Ctrl C + Ctrl V.

If all you have filled are the basic information in your resume, it will likely join the “unqualified pile.”

Don't let your resume be a side character.

Avoid these below mistakes that are preventing you from getting the interview calls,

👉 Not using a template

Use a resume template to take care of all the formatting issues. Nothing too flashy though. 

👉 Not using the correct contact details

According to SeedScientific, unprofessional email addresses make up 76% of resume rejections. So use a professional email address while applying.

For example, instead of using [email protected], use [email protected]

👉 Don't use a generic objective as the headline of your resume. 

👉 Not including any relevant work experience

You may have worked for an array of jobs. Mentioning jobs that are not relevant to the current position will make your resume obsolete.

👉 Not highlighting your education

If you are a fresher with less work experience then make sure that you highlight your education properly.

Also, some jobs require certain qualifications so highlight them without any errors.

👉 Not listing the proper soft and technical skills

Don’t be a miser when adding skills. These are the things that recruiters will look for.

But don’t go overboard and mention skills that you don't possess.

2. Lack of accomplishments and achievements

The most common mistake that candidates make.

Writing the responsibilities without quantifying them will not make you qualified for the job. 

A recruiter is not interested in your roles and responsibilities.

They want to see what value you brought and the impact you made. 

Not highlighting your achievements can make it not reach the shortlisted bunch from the initial review.

For example,

Instead of writing: Increased website traffic organically

Write this: Created an SEO strategy and increased company traffic by 76% organically over the last 6 months

Don't undersell yourself.

This is the place to boast about your skills and achievements. 

The company is looking to hire the best out of the best. Understand its value. 

Don't wait for the interview to disclose your achievements.

How will you do that if you are not even getting shortlisted?

At the same time don't brag and don’t lie.

Lying on your resume is a deal breaker.

⭐Want to add the right skills to your resume to get hired for your dream position?

👉 Focus on upskilling strategically.

What does this mean?

👉 Find the right resources, tailored to your exact learning needs, and work on them consistently with feedback from the right person.

Don’t waste time scrolling YouTube videos, and online courses without getting anywhere.

Work 1:1 with a career mentor to tailor your preparation and bag your ideal job, smarter and faster. 👇

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3. Not having relevant keywords in the resume

Another major reason for not getting interview calls is the lack of keywords.

Most resumes go through an initial screening by ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

📌 ATS checks the resume, compares it with the job description and generates a score.

This weeds out irrelevant applications.

So do yourself a favour and read the job description properly. 

📌 The easiest way to find the keywords is to skim through the job posting.

Look for relevant skills and experience.

These robots sniff out the imperfections but they themselves aren't perfect yet.

Sometimes, they trip here and there.

The first one is not being able to identify certain elements in the resume. 

So use ATS-friendly templates and submit your resume in PDF format.

4. Your resume is more than 1 or 2 pages

Remember about the "7 seconds"?

Resumes with more than one or two pages will most likely not be read. 

Lengthy resumes that are more than 2 pages may also be the culprit behind you not getting interview calls.

📌 A resume acts as an elevator pitch.

And a perfect pitch is short and simple. 

It's not a place where you need to mention everything.

It's the specific things that will help you get the interview.

5. Your resume is cluttered

Following the previous point, you need to have a balance of white space and text in your resume. 

No one is interested in reading chunky paragraphs. 

Make sure that your resume is neat.

📌 Utilise the spaces to mention relevant information. 

For example, do not use a typical career objective. Instead, write a career summary.

Highlight your accomplishments in a line or two.

This will catch the recruiter's attention.

6. Spelling and typographical errors

In a recruiter's POV, 

Wrong grammar = Red flag 🚩

Spelling and typo errors create a really bad impression. 

The recruiter might think that you have not even put in the effort to check your resume before applying. 

The recruiter is unsure about your commitment to the job.

Don't lose out because of this mishap. It may seem small but might be the ticket for the exit.

📌 Proofreading is the key here.

Quickly run it through a grammar-checking tool and have someone else proofread it for you.

7. Not personalising your resume

Recruiters are quick to catch on to this habit. It's painfully evident if the resume is created in a haste.

A tailored resume can do wonders for you. 

Personalisation signifies that you actually care about the position. 

More applications ≠ More interview calls

Don't blindly send out applications to hundreds of jobs.

Chances are you might not get interview calls from even one of them.

📌 Instead, personalise your CV and apply to selected postings.

You don't need to hear back from everyone.

Applying to 50 jobs and getting 5 interviews and applying to 15 jobs and getting 5 interviews? 

Which one's better?

Put in time if you want to see the results. Add some keywords, and reorder some points.

Spend time tailoring your resume, not mindlessly applying to jobs.

Check out this resume writing guide with dos and dont's to increase your chances of getting shortlisted.

8. Not being able to justify your employment gaps

Employment gap is not that uncommon.

However, you need to explain those gaps without being too apologetic about them.

Don't mention the gap at the top of your resume. 

📌 Place it strategically and address it. 

If you have done any certification courses or have upskilled yourself during the gap, mention that. 

You can use a combination resume format which highlights your skills and achievements first. 

You can also explain the gaps in your cover letter if needed.

If you took up some freelancing projects, mention that as well.

Don't let it be the cause of why you are not getting interview calls.

9. Lack of detailed profiles on job portals

A number of job boards give you the option to upload your resume.

But you have to create a profile as well. 

A complete profile can help recruiters research their ideal candidates. 

For example, on certain job platforms, recruiters can send out invites to candidates whose skills are matching the job descriptions.

10. Applying only through job portals

Stop relying only on job portals. 

There are too many people out there. 

Most of the time the postings get flooded with applications as soon as they are posted. 

Recruiters don't have the time to reach out to each and every qualified candidate. 

Sometimes there is a case of first come first serve. 

That means the first qualified candidate may have a higher chance to get the interview compared to someone who is also qualified but applied late.

Again, the reason you are not getting interview calls from Naukri or any other job portal is because the job postings are reposted again and again and your application may never reach the recruiter's hands.

📌 Instead of spending your time creating your profiles on Naukri, Indeed, Monster, Vampire, Werewolves, Dragons and whatnot, Network.

Spend more than half your time networking.

And also apply directly to the company portals.

Supposedly you found out about company A's job vacancy on a job board.

Check the company's website to see if the same opening is posted there.

You can also search for HR's contact information. 

Send out your resume with a personalised cover letter.

This is the sure-shot way to increase your chances of getting the interview.

11. Having a weak and generic cover letter

The resume and cover letter are not the same. 

Both tell different sets of stories.

📌 Personalisation is not just for the resume.

You have to connect your experiences and accomplishments.

A resume is there to show your qualifications and work experience. 

With a cover letter, you can show how you solve the problem using these. 

You have a chance to convince the recruiter why you are the “perfect fit”. 

So don't make it bland. Don't mention what is already in the resume.

Go ahead and create a career story.

12. Not having a LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform.

Zety's latest statistics show that 87% of recruiters check a candidate's LinkedIn profile before the interview.

This goes on to show how important it is to have a solid LinkedIn presence. 

📌 You can apply for job postings through LinkedIn, connect with recruiters and showcase your skills and achievements. 

Why not take the full benefit?

A half-baked one-liner and an aimless profile won't get you selected. 

Below are some of the ways how you can optimise your LinkedIn profile;

✅ Add a professional profile picture

✅ Use a cover picture 

You can mention your expertise and what services you provide in the cover picture.

✅ Use a catchy profile title

Make it more than just a job title. You can add a hook and make it resonate with the recruiters.

✅ The About section is a great place to summarise your experience and what goals you have achieved. You can also add links to your portfolio.

✅ Mention your work experience

Under each experience, you can fill in the skills and responsibilities you had in the job. Focus on quantifying it.

✅ Add your education and show off your skills

Your connections can even endorse your skills which increases your credibility.

✅ Do not forget to add your license and certifications, if any.

✅ Customise your LinkedIn profile URL to make it neat and clean. You will be mentioning your LinkedIn URL in your resume and cover letter.

It is great to have names instead of numbers. It also makes the recruiters find you easily.

✅ Be active 

Don't just stop at creating your profile.

Start sharing content.

Engage with your connection and build a network.

Who knows you might just get your next opportunity from one of your connections. 

✅ Be selective about what you post. Do not create a negative presence.

13. You are not the right fit

Job search is overwhelming. 

On the pretext of applying to jobs, you can also apply to those which you don't qualify for. 

📌 You don't have to match the requirements 100%. But 70% and above is a good start.

It can be a part of why you are not getting interview calls.

14. Not utilising referrals

Internal hiring is preferred and encouraged.

And why should not be?

The statistics for internal hiring are generally positive. 

Since there is a referral bonus, employees usually come up with qualified candidates.

It also saves hiring costs.

So before your resume even reaches the recruiters they might have found the qualified candidate.

So if someone wants to refer you, don't turn it down.

But, before that, you actually need someone to refer you.

How do you connect with such a person? By networking!

🎯Connect 1:1 with an industry expert and work with them to get the right job referrals. 👇

Wrapping it up

There is not much you can do about the internal processes. 

Sometimes it's even on the company to not proceed with the application.

In case they have already closed the hiring process, you will not be getting interview calls.

There can be some other underlying conditions not mentioned. 

Do not take stress.

Job hunting is easily one of the biggest challenges in anyone’s life. 

Rejections don’t define you. 

But you can do your bit by avoiding the above mistakes. 

Learning from your mistakes will surely increase your chances of getting the interview.

It is also hard to understand the reason behind rejections. Reach out to a mentor to identify what is going wrong. 🤝

And instead of wandering around in search of the perfect mentor, start with Preplaced. 

Here you can find experts from your targeted companies in your targeted domain.  The first session is free. 👇

Also Read:

Interview Self-Prep vs. Preparing with a Mentor

How to Choose the Right Mentor at Preplaced?