How to get the most out of Applications?

Applying for job can be a frustrating and seeming fruitless task as many people find that they apply for lots of jobs but get little feedback as to whether they have been selected or even that the application has been received. This is not only frustrating because you don’t know you if were not successful but also what you can do to improve things next time.

This is a common problem, but there is a way to overcome it, however to do so you need to understand what causes it. If you see a job advertised on a job board, you are probably one of hundreds, if not thousands of people looking at that same opportunity. Then when you click ‘apply’ or send your CV through, it typical gets sent to a response inbox full of other applicant CVs’. A large proportion of jobs that you see are not posted by companies directly but by Recruitment companies working on their behalf. This is done because to save time as the recruitment process can be quite time consuming; therefore, paying a Recruitment Consultant that is well trained and skills in that sector is more cost effective.

When a Recruitment Consultant advertises a job, within a week is easy for them to have received at least 400 CVs of candidates interested in the same role. This is not just for high profile or well paying jobs, but is becoming more common for most positions. Some job boards even display how many other people have applied for that same position. A successful Recruitment Consultant will not have time to look through all 400 CVs and then call or email the unsuccessful candidates. They would typically look through the list of CV very quickly, adding the ones they liked to a shortlist and possibly deleting any that stood out for the wrong reasons. During that process there are many CVs of potentially ideal candidates that get missed and never opened along with many other unsuitable candidates. Once the shortlist is complete that Recruitment Consultant will then contact the candidates they have identified and begun another process to try and fill the job.

So what do you do if you are one of the 400 CVs sitting in an inbox that may or may not be contacted?

The most effective way of getting some feedback from your application is by picking up the phone and giving the Recruitment Consultant a call. Quite a number of job searching websites have the contact details for the Recruitment Consultant advertising the job. By calling them, you immediately stand out from the crowd and distinguish yourself from other candidates. You can immediately get feedback about your application and get the Recruiter’s insight on your chances of success for that role. And even if they feel you are not suitable for that position, they may have others roles that more closely match your skills. It can often seem quite daunting but is a great way to know the outcome of your efforts.

So pick up the phone and get calling!

Toyin Odusanwo – Career Advisor

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