Lately the media is suggesting an improved economy and that companies are hiring.  It is hard to cross the street without a self proclaimed career expert giving advice.  Google, CNN, and Yahoo! constantly feature articles regarding job searching and yet many candidates find that they are sending out countless resumes and not getting interviews.  With so much great information out there here are some of the real reasons that candidates don’t get interviews.

1. Resume sent to wrong person. A recent CNN Money.com column suggested that sending a resume to a person in a firm at a higher level would yields better results.  Right or wrong I don’t know, but I would save it for cases only when you are eminently qualified for the position.
2. Lack of Follow Up. As also mentioned in CNNMoney.com, most HR departments have been trimmed and recruiters are busy people with resumes often getting missed because  spam filters, the resume black hole…you name it.  If you are serious about a position–follow up. It’s pretty simple.
3. Resumes in a bizarre format. Many firms utilize applicant tracking systems that can really only read word documents or pdfs.  Zip files, Notepad documents, and embedded emails will likely not make it through.   Follow the instructions on how to apply to a position.
4. TMI people, TMI. Keep the pictures and personal anecdotes to yourself.  Cover letters should be concise and focus on your skills.  For more tips check out this WSJ article.
5. You aren’t LinkedIn. Many companies only post jobs on LinkedIn and use this as a resource to find what are considered to be “star employees”.   Who doesn’t want to be a star?
6. Off key. If the right key words aren’t included on a resume it will easily get lost into the resume black hole.  I hate to be a broken record but it is true.  Look at the requirements in the job description and make sure as many as possible if not all are on a resume.
7. Socially Unacceptable. Don’t think employers won’t bat an eye at Facebook profile, tweets, or comments.   Wink is a background check reality for many firms and an employer’s social media BFF.
8. Disorganized. I can’t tell you how often I encounter a candidate that doesn’t know what job they applied for or where they have submitted a resume.  What this says is that the candidate is neither organized nor detail oriented.  Reason enough to take a pass for many employers.
9. Not qualified. Applying for jobs without meeting the minimum requirements- stop already! You won’t get an interview and you are wasting everyone’s time.
10. Cyber job stalker. You know who you are.  The person that applies to every job on a company website – How could you possibly be qualified for so many jobs?  If you were, I doubt you would still be unemployed.

Is it the economy or is it you?