3 factors that make (or break) your chances of getting an interview

For almost all employers, there are three deciding factors that will make (or break) your chances of getting an interview.

Put yourself in the shoes of the employer for a moment, you’ve got a pile of CV’s on your desk, one role and a limited amount of time to sift through them. So what do you do? Work overtime? Take them home?

No, you summarise exactly what you need in a new employee in your mind and then skim through each CV to pick out three key pieces of information that will help you make an educated assumption on whether or not that applicant is a good fit for the role.

So as candidates, here are the three deciding factors that all employers look for when they make a judgement on whether you’ll be getting an interview or not.

1. Do you meet the job description?

Almost all job adverts have some form of description about the role. This is what employers work from to ‘score’ your suitability, so it’s essential that you tick as many boxes as you can.

Amend your CV so the elements of the job description are met in your application, and that they stand out easily and can’t be missed. A good way of achieving this is by using bullet points to describe current skills, qualifications and experience without making your CV too wordy.

2. Do your goals align?
Just as important as skills and experience is the ‘fit’ employers are looking for. They want a candidate whose values, goals and ambitions align with their own as this often makes for a successful working partnership.

At the beginning of your CV, right a very short, one paragraph synopsis on you career goals and what you wish to achieve going forward as this will give the employer a good indication of if the role is a good match for your ambitions.

3. Do you have that star quality?
All employers are looking for the best value for money, so they’re constantly on the search for quality candidates with that something extra. If you’ve got a series of relevant, notable successes under your belt, then mention them in your CV.

If you can illustrate that you’ve got that star quality and can prove it by way of previous projects, stellar sales figures or significant involvement in making changes for the better in previous roles, then you’ll be amongst the top of the list of interview invites.



For more helpful tips on how to increase your chances of getting an interview, then speak to our friendly team of recruitment professionals today.