If your applications aren’t getting you past the first hurdle then there are two key things you need to review:
1. Job-hunting strategy - you need to consider how competitive is the job market? To get into some competitive areas of work you may need to consider applying for jobs at a more junior level to work your way up.
Have you ensured that you meet all the requirements for the job as specified by the employer?
2. Quality of your applications i.e. your CVs, application forms and covering letters.
For each application you need to ensure that you understand the nature of the job you are applying for and, most importantly, you must address all the selection criteria as specified by the employer. These criteria, or job requirements, are usually found in the person specification. You must give examples from your experience to demonstrate how you meet these requirements. If you don’t address all of them, or you generalise (e.g.’ I have excellent communication skills’) without supporting evidence then you won’t get shortlisted.
Always check your CVs, applications and covering letters for spelling, grammar and punctuation as any mistakes may result in you not being shortlisted. For more information see USW Careers personal promotion pages. You can also get your CVs/Application forms and covering letters checked by a Careers Adviser.