Why am I not getting any job interviews?
After applying to hundreds of jobs without landing a single interview, I felt frustrated and confused. Despite having over five years of experience in product management, something seemed to be going wrong. Determined to find answers, I reached out to recruiters to understand the reasons behind these rejections. Thankfully, I managed to interview over 10 recruiters and gained valuable insights into what often turns them off in a candidate’s resume. I was surprised to learn that most recruiters pointed out this single reason the most. In this article, I will discuss the biggest problem in applicant’s and even my resume and how I corrected it.
The problem : Job experience is boring. It is not grabbing the attention of the recruiter.
Many job applicants make the mistake of listing their work experience as a mere rundown of responsibilities, focusing on what they did and how they did it. For example, they might write, “Handled social media accounts” or “Conducted market research,” without providing any context or results. While this explains their role, it doesn’t tell recruiters why they’re exceptional or how they added value to their organization. What’s often missing is a clear focus on achievements and measurable outcomes. Recruiters want to know not just what you worked on but also the impact of your efforts. Additionally, even when achievements are mentioned, they’re often vague or unquantified. See the example below to understand it better.
In this example, we can identify several mistakes that can cause recruiters to overlook it:
❌ No measurable achievement highlighted with numeric metrics.
❌ Repetitive use of “Worked” action verb makes it sound so repetitive.
❌ The description lacks any clear career progression, making it seem like the person worked on random tasks without a defined growth path in their previous role.
❌ The description does not depict the expertise of the candidate in any specific skills or industry
The solution : Job experience which catches the attention of the Recruiter.
The goal of your resume is to capture the recruiter’s attention and convince them that you are the ideal candidate for the role. Your employment history plays a vital role in achieving this. You can follow this guide or use our AI Resume builder for free to optimise this on your own easily. Below is an example of a strong employment history and how you can leverage it to demonstrate to recruiters that you’re the perfect fit for the job.
In this example, we can observe the following:
✅ The description clearly outlines what the applicant worked on and the scale of the product, helping the recruiter assess how relevant their previous experience is to the current job opening.
✅ Achievements are clearly outlined with industry-standard metrics, effectively demonstrating the applicant’s expertise and convincing recruiters of their strong performance and capabilities.
✅ The use of varied action verbs such as “Developed,” “Designed,” and “Collaborated” engages recruiters and makes each achievement stand out, adding depth and variety to the applicant’s experience.
✅ This employment history also emphasizes the applicant’s technical expertise through specific achievements, detailing how they successfully executed key tasks. Highlighting these technical skills is crucial for establishing authority in the field and demonstrating the applicant’s ability to handle complex challenges with proficiency. This approach not only showcases their competence but also reinforces their suitability for roles requiring specialized knowledge and expertise.
Conclusion
Crafting a strong employment history can significantly increase your chances of landing a job. It is one of the most critical sections of your resume, as it captures the recruiter’s attention and helps them determine if you’re a good fit for the role based on the job description. By following the tips outlined above, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and increase your likelihood of securing an interview.