According to The Undercover Recruiter every job opening in any organization attracts 250 CVs, and most candidates don’t make an effort to stand out.
One of the frequently asked questions we get from our users is why they never hear back from employers even after making several applications to employers. One of the possible reasons is that you either do not meet the requirements the employer needs or that your CV and cover letter are not appealing even after spending time crafting it. Many people apply for jobs with the hope that they will get called for an interview even if they don’t qualify.
Job openings attract an average of 250CVs
To start it all, most recruiters receive thousands of applications once a job has been advertised. Be it online or in the newspapers. According to an article in The Undercover Recruiter, job applications start streaming within 200 seconds of the job being posted and on average, every job opening in any organization attracts 250 CVs. Out of the 250 CVs, between 4-6 candidates will be invited for an interview but only one person will get the job.
Employers won't spend longer than a few seconds on your CV
Research has shown that recruiters will spend between 5-7 seconds on one CV and make up their minds on whether you are worth a shot for an interview or not. This is pretty much because recruiters know what they want and will not spend time on an applicant’s CV if it lacks what they need. With such statistics, it is very easy for an employer to bin your CV because of a spelling mistake or grammatical error.
Sell yourself in the cover letter
The article goes ahead to say, there is only a 17% chance that an employer will read through your cover letter. This is a very small figure thus the need to sell yourself in your cover letter in your introduction paragraph. Therefore, your CV needs to be outstanding. (Read more on how to make your CV stand out here.) You need to clearly define the skills that you have acquired that will enable you to be fit in organization X and why you should be considered for that role and not the other 249 applicants.
Details of your work experience and position held need to be well defined with the recent or current working place being top of the list. With the above statistics, it would be good to edit and re-edit your CV ruthlessly. Avoid repetition, use of words to describe yourself that you are not sure of and most importantly, do thorough research on the organization you are applying to.
