Just sending CV is not enough

I've sent my CV (Curriculum Vitae) to several job vacancies, but there is no response from any employer. So, please suggest on how to seek employer’s attention.Prachi, Pune

In general, sending a CV is an easier job. Many end up losing hope if there is no reply from the recruiter. We think that HR is champion for any company, but when it comes to recruitment and selection, they just involve in filtering process and reducing number of applications.

Recruitment is a positive process, wherein a lot of aspirants are attracted to a job. But selection is a negative process because you might be eliminated. Though you are a right fit for the job, you may not receive any call due to several reasons. So it's always better to check your application status with that employer.

Many job aspirants send their CV through e-mail with vague subject lines: "Pl find attachment"; "Attached my resume"; "Application for the job posted"; "Resume"; "CV". Sometimes, fresh applicants do not mention anything in the subject line. Because of this, you can't attract any recruiter/HR, and thereby your CV just remains in their inbox.

In another scenario, a few keep a lot of recruiters' email IDs in recipient section (To/CC/BCC) and send the CV as a bulk e-mail. Many a times, it may land in their SPAM folder. You can send your CV to many employers, but cannot send same cover letter to all of them. You have to be very specific and clear enough when you're writing your cover letter.

With cover letter, you can explain your creative thoughts, capability and solution to that particular problem. Sometimes, recruiter/employer do not update the status of their vacancies although they recruit people. There are some fraudsters or street side institutions which post fake vacancies just to build their database.

Don't get shocked if you get any offer letter from fraudsters, even though you did not attend any interview. These fraudsters just try to collect money from you as security deposit for the said position; never believe them. Many recruiters are doing a remote assessment using social media websites. They may review your social media profile before calling you over for an interview.

Certainly, you may not get any response, if your postings/comments are found to be awkward or insulting others. To overcome above challenges and get employer’s attention, follow these simple steps...

• Read the job specification clearly before you apply for any job.
• Apply only when you are convinced and feel you are right for that job.
• Also send your CV to technical/hiring manager instead of just sending it to the HR.
• Follow employer guidelines as part of their application procedure. Sometimes they may ask you to fill their own forms of ERP/standalone portals.
• Do not use your official e-mail for sending CV to another company. IT administration always observes your incoming and outgoing mails.
• If you write everything in your CV, then there would be less to demonstrate during personal interview.
• Ensure that the content in your CV does not exceed more than two pages, because recruiters do not spend time to read each and every point.
• Do not forget to check your contact details. There are cases where you may lose an opportunity just because you haven’t updated your contact information.
• Use proper subject line which is apt to their requirement, use reference number, if they provide so.
• Write up a neat cover letter so as to impress the recruiter by explaining your abilities, skills and experience.
• In order to share more about you with prospective employer, you better use social media viz., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Blog, Quora, etc.
• But before you share your social media links, check your profile and posts/comments carefully. They may not call you if there's any controversial, misleading, or awkward information on your wall.
• Keep observing the status of job vacancy and follow up with them accordingly.
• Always remember, every employer looks for a problem solving person.

You can read ‘Don’t Send a CV’ by Jeffrey J. Fox, like and follow www.facebook.com/passion4career for free career related articles/tips.

Why people say leave your comfort zone? How it helps one to grow in his/her career? Srilakshmi, East Godavari

Everybody has a comfort zone...Many job seekers stay in their comfort zone but face consequences. They do not think beyond, for example, routine job search, depending on job portals/backdoor jobs, failing at interviews for the same reason, etc. Comfort zone is the mental security space where you are comfortable the way you do things regularly.

A job that you’re completely familiar with, where there are no surprises, and everything the job requires is predictable and safe. You feel more joyful and need not put extra efforts for it, but sometimes it makes you lazy. We expect better results by putting same efforts and/or doing it the same way, but you can't achieve them. In order to achieve better results one must think and do things in a different way.

Many do not like to move beyond his/her comfort zone, but that's where real magic happens - we can grow, learn, and develop in a way that expands our horizons beyond what we think is possible. So how do you take that first step out of your comfort zone? You have to be confident and know that you can do almost anything with the right attitude and effort.

• Identify different ways of thinking and doing
• Learn new things and do it slowly
• Travel and understand different cultures
• Socialise with new people in order to shorten your job search
• Feel confident and be prepared to face risk and failures
• Motivate yourself to do the things that you're procrastinating
• Observe the results and appreciate yourself

Benefits of leaving comfort zone are...

• You'll be more productive
• You become a change agent
• Creates scope for learning
• Allows you to open up your full potential

It will make easier to push your boundaries in the future Remember, comfort and safety can be far more damaging to you in the long-term than discomfort and risk, particularly in today’s world.

By:kamal pabba