Here’s Why You Haven’t Heard Back From That Employer

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Back in August, we examined what steps to take if you don’t hear back from a potential employer.

But it’s just as important to understand why you didn’t hear back in the first place.

It's valuable information for a job-seeker, especially in a job market that has the firepower of a leftover Roman Candle from Fourth of July that's left out in the rain for six weeks or so.

Unemployment stands at 8.3% as of August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and private polling firms such as Gallup.

But, as Gallup notes, the underemployment rate was 17% in August, a figure that includes part-time workers looking for full-time work.

With the market so competitive, job candidates who understand why they’re not hearing back from potential employers and do something about it are the ones most likely to break through and get hired for good-paying, rewarding jobs.

There are several key reasons companies don’t respond to job-seekers that goes way beyond the “we’re swamped" dodge human resources managers love to use when finally confronted by frustrated job candidates.

So let’s take a look at some of the most prominent, yet secret, reasons employers don’t get back to job seekers:

Mistakes on your resume: It could be bad grammar or it could be poor writing skills, but a big reason you’re being blown off by a potential employer is that your resume has more potholes than the side streets of Bangalore. Human resources types equate sloppy resumes with sloppy workers and are less likely to make an effort to reach out if your resume isn’t clear, concise and compelling.