Applying for jobs - getting nowhere
Discussion
I have been applying for other jobs as Im no longer enjoying mine since a takeover. Head of Software Engineering/Engineering Manager type roles. Everything seems to be on LinkedIn now and often the employers are hiding behind applicant tracking systems as well. Recently I just dont seem to be getting anywhere, there are plenty of jobs out there but I apply and get no response despite meeting all the criteria on the ad. Couple of months back I had a few interviews and had one offer but didnt take it. Is this just a summer slow down and it will pick up again soon? Anyone else having the same?
I think my CV is ok, its been fine up until this point. Is there anything else I should be doing, should I be trying to find out who the hirer is and try and contact them? Thats not always easy, I did with one as the job sounded really good and I was a great fit, messaged him on LinkedIn, he read it and never replied
I think my CV is ok, its been fine up until this point. Is there anything else I should be doing, should I be trying to find out who the hirer is and try and contact them? Thats not always easy, I did with one as the job sounded really good and I was a great fit, messaged him on LinkedIn, he read it and never replied
In that area - there's going to be a lot of applicants.
How many roles have you applied for?
I suspect your going to have to play the numbers game looking for a job like that.
It might also be worthwhile getting a 3rd party to review your CV and application process.
Above all - try to keep positive. You're already in a job - getting something similar shouldn't be impossible.
How many roles have you applied for?
I suspect your going to have to play the numbers game looking for a job like that.
It might also be worthwhile getting a 3rd party to review your CV and application process.
Above all - try to keep positive. You're already in a job - getting something similar shouldn't be impossible.
Yeah I think thats an issue, especially if the job is remote. Sometimes you see a job and it has 200 applicants (LinkedIn shows you how many applied). I spoke to one recruiter who said they get hundreds and the bulk are people wanting visa sponsorship, then a huge chunk of dreamers who are no where near qualified and then about 10-15%.
Guess getting my CV looked at by a professional will help me stick out in that 10%
I have been looking for a few months and probably applying for a 3-4 a week. Over summer holidays it went very quiet and some weeks there was nothing.
Guess getting my CV looked at by a professional will help me stick out in that 10%
I have been looking for a few months and probably applying for a 3-4 a week. Over summer holidays it went very quiet and some weeks there was nothing.
I echo the other comments on getting someone to look at your CV, I believe there are a couple of people on here who do it? You need to get past the filtering stage and I'd wager your CV just doesn't quite have the right keywords/phrases in it.
Also, worth doing the same for your LinkedIn profile as well while you're at it as so many job ads go straight on there. Treat it as your virtual CV.
Also, worth doing the same for your LinkedIn profile as well while you're at it as so many job ads go straight on there. Treat it as your virtual CV.
C5_Steve said:
I echo the other comments on getting someone to look at your CV, I believe there are a couple of people on here who do it? You need to get past the filtering stage and I'd wager your CV just doesn't quite have the right keywords/phrases in it.
Also, worth doing the same for your LinkedIn profile as well while you're at it as so many job ads go straight on there. Treat it as your virtual CV.
The professional CV writers will also review your LinkedIn profile.Also, worth doing the same for your LinkedIn profile as well while you're at it as so many job ads go straight on there. Treat it as your virtual CV.
(I am not a professional CV writer
)I have made 2 moves in the last 6 months due to a re-structure. First one had 402 applicants on Linkedin - I connected with the hiring manager and send a 2 minute video on why I thought I would be a good fit for the role.
Second move I went to a local job fair at Brighton’s stadium and was able to meet the Ops Director shake his hand and have an informal chat - due to the nature of it being a job fair he was essentially selling the position to me. I put in an application to the hiring manager and referenced the Director in my cover note.
Due to the ease of applying on Linkedin and other sites now where you can save generic CV’s and Cover notes they have to sift through 100’s of applicants and like you say only 10-15% are suitable. You need to think outside the box and find a way to get your application noticed… in a pile of 100 other generic applications what makes you stand out?
Second move I went to a local job fair at Brighton’s stadium and was able to meet the Ops Director shake his hand and have an informal chat - due to the nature of it being a job fair he was essentially selling the position to me. I put in an application to the hiring manager and referenced the Director in my cover note.
Due to the ease of applying on Linkedin and other sites now where you can save generic CV’s and Cover notes they have to sift through 100’s of applicants and like you say only 10-15% are suitable. You need to think outside the box and find a way to get your application noticed… in a pile of 100 other generic applications what makes you stand out?
The number of applicants that it shows on LinkedIn seems b
ks.
50+ For a job that went live an hour ago, 500 applicants for an entry level job etc
My employer posted a vacancy there and had <10 applicants, but the post itself on LI shows 75.
Maybe if you keep the post open for more than a few minutes it counts you as an applicant or something.
ks.50+ For a job that went live an hour ago, 500 applicants for an entry level job etc
My employer posted a vacancy there and had <10 applicants, but the post itself on LI shows 75.
Maybe if you keep the post open for more than a few minutes it counts you as an applicant or something.
Same boat OP. Similar roles, Head of IT, IT Manager, Infrastructure Leads etc. and most of the roles have 150+ applicants. I've had my CV through a professional place like some have suggested and it's not really changed much.
Getting zillions of hits and calls and emails isn't an issue, but looking for the right role/business when the market is so competitive there is always someone who will take the job for far less then it's worth and most businesses in this area seem to not worry about going through 5 or 6 people before they get someone reliable.
As an observation working with hundreds of clients, there is weirdly a significant number of people on huge money in these positions they can't actually do the job (in fact we've hired and fired a fair portion of them) so it does make me wonder what goes on in some people's recruitment processes.
Getting zillions of hits and calls and emails isn't an issue, but looking for the right role/business when the market is so competitive there is always someone who will take the job for far less then it's worth and most businesses in this area seem to not worry about going through 5 or 6 people before they get someone reliable.
As an observation working with hundreds of clients, there is weirdly a significant number of people on huge money in these positions they can't actually do the job (in fact we've hired and fired a fair portion of them) so it does make me wonder what goes on in some people's recruitment processes.
Obvious point - but if using a CV writer - make damn sure they're good. Loads of cowboys out there, probably powered by ChatGPT.
For me, the process of finding a permanent role after 'contracting' became untenable was very tiresome. What worked for me was joining a big firm inside IR35, making myself useful, networking like mad and then applying for a permanenet role as a known quantity with internal recommendations.
For my role, there were 300+ applicants. 30 or so were actually very good.
For me, the process of finding a permanent role after 'contracting' became untenable was very tiresome. What worked for me was joining a big firm inside IR35, making myself useful, networking like mad and then applying for a permanenet role as a known quantity with internal recommendations.
For my role, there were 300+ applicants. 30 or so were actually very good.
It's no different to when I was using JobServe 15+ years ago. I spoke to recruiters several times and they said they had hundreds of applications per job. As you say, the majority of these were people who wanted sponsorship or people who were completely unsuited skills wise to the job. The issue is they still have to sift through these hundreds of applications to separate the wheat from the chat.
In the end if I saw a job I was interested I would just call the recruiter and speak to them before sending over my CV. That way they were looking for it and picked that one out over all the others.
Seems nothing has changed.
In the end if I saw a job I was interested I would just call the recruiter and speak to them before sending over my CV. That way they were looking for it and picked that one out over all the others.
Seems nothing has changed.
Sycamore said:
The number of applicants that it shows on LinkedIn seems bks.
50+ For a job that went live an hour ago, 500 applicants for an entry level job etc
My employer posted a vacancy there and had <10 applicants, but the post itself on LI shows 75.
Maybe if you keep the post open for more than a few minutes it counts you as an applicant or something.
You can't trust the displayed LinkedIn figures. I often used to look at application formats through LinkedIn and then close the window without having submitted anything and the system would still think I'd applied. I think it just counts how many people clicked on the initial 'Apply' button rather than those who actually submitted an application...ks.50+ For a job that went live an hour ago, 500 applicants for an entry level job etc
My employer posted a vacancy there and had <10 applicants, but the post itself on LI shows 75.
Maybe if you keep the post open for more than a few minutes it counts you as an applicant or something.
I'm sure it's part of LinkedIn's ploy to make people think there's more competition for jobs and so they have to pay for premium memberships/use LinkedIn more intensively etc.
dibblecorse said:
OP, feel free to PM me, I run a recruitment team for a global tech company, we wouldn't have such a role in the UK but happy to appraise both your CV and LinkedIn profile, no payment needed, I've assisted a few PH'ers.. offers there ....
Very kind, thank you. Will ping you a PMWY86 said:
My advice, apply within 24hrs of the job going live, i have had more responses if i am one of the first ten applicants. No buttering up the recruiter, no cover
Letters.
A good chunk of the 150+ applicants would be applicants looking for sponsorship or under qualified.
Yeah I have been trying to do that. I check a few times a day and as soon as I see a new role that fits I get an application in. Letters.
A good chunk of the 150+ applicants would be applicants looking for sponsorship or under qualified.
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