This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.

Now you know what’s required to obtain your NEXT role

1 Your resume basically sucks. What does a sucky resume look like? It’s hard to read, it has terrible formatting, the information in your resume is irrelevant to the job application, there are common sense type skills on your resume (e.g., communication), or you have too many grammatical errors. #2 Your experience is entirely irrelevant. A student was interested in a completely different role than they were best suited for based on their experience; this is 150% okay, but when you apply to a role that deviates from your skillset, be prepared to study job descriptions, resumes, interviews, and articles so you can learn how you need to communicate your experience on your resume and during an interview. Don’t expect to get interviews when your resume is completely off base and communicates irrelevant experience. If you’re applying for a business analyst role, don’t list your college art internship in your resume as a professional experience. #3 Your experience doesn’t match the job description. If I look at a job description, and then I look at your resume, is it a match? Most people believe they deserve an interview because they apply, but this is untrue. Put in the effort to match the job description (based on your experience) to increase your chances of scoring an interview. #4 You’re failing the ATS. ATS stands for application tracking system. Recruiters and the hiring team utilize this system to determine how well you match the role. Keywords matter. Do you have all the proper verbiage reflected in your resume? Run your resume through a job scanner to see your match rate. Here are two ways to check your ATS score: Jobalytics (free extension) Job Scanner (first three scans are free) Google job scanner for other options

5 Your experience is too general. GET SPECIFIC. A student was wondering why they weren’t getting interviews. While reviewing their resume, I failed to find any specifics about their results. Everything was vague. If you want interviews, brag about your accomplishments. Show numbers, metrics, KPIs, and the objectives you achieved. When you’re on the hunt for a job, this is not the time to be vague. #6 You don’t have suitable titles. Titles actually matter. Try incorporating the titles of the roles you’re applying for into your resume. If the titles are too far off, you may appear that you don’t have relevant experience even if you do. #7 You’re not applying to enough jobs. How many jobs did you apply to last week? Five. Say what? Bye. That ain’t gonna produce shit. Get AGGRESSIVE. Put out at least 100 leads weekly, including job applications or reach outs (emails, LinkedIn messages, or calls). #8 You’re not being positive. Mindset matters. If you’re not approaching the job journey with a positive mindset, then it will infect your search. Rejection emails will flood your inbox. The best thing to do when you get a rejection email is to apply for another role. These rejections mean absolutely nothing except that it’s not the right role for you right now or in general. Keep applying. Read #20. #9 You’re not networking enough. The easiest way to get a job is through networking. A good friend contacted me and told me a role was available. I got the position a week later, and the interview process was a joke. #10 You’re not applying to the right roles. If your job search is not tailored enough, you’re throwing your fish net on dry land. Apply with intention. Apply with a clear objective. Know the roles you seek, and focus on applying to these only. #11 Don’t apply to too many DIFFERENT roles. Ultimately your job search should include a max number of jobs. One student was applying to too many different roles. We narrowed their job search down to one role, and they landed a role within a few weeks. Focus brings results. Applying for 3–5 roles isn’t unproductive, but less is more. Many roles require unique skill sets, meaning you’ll need unique resumes for each. #12 You’re not applying to the right companies. Everyone has a unique background. Some are better fits for startups, others enterprises, and the rest are mid-size companies. Some can fit into every company type. And then, we have to take into consideration the industry. What industry do you already have experience in? It’s not impossible to switch industries. I’ve switched industries more than six times, but that doesn’t always make sense for others. #13 You’re not improving your skillsets. Early in my career, I acquired numerous certifications to the point where I had one page of my resume dedicated just to certifications (which I later removed). However, it showed employers how dedicated I was to professional development, which I still am to this day. #14 You don’t stand out. What makes you stand out from the rest in a pile of resumes and profiles? Think about what your differentiation factor is, and make it known. Always know what makes you different from other candidates; we all have something. I know what mine is and highlight it on my resume and in every interview without fail. Note: Having a black-and-white resume will not help you stand out. Add some pizzazz to that document; inspire the hiring team’s eyes. #15 You’re not confident. Confidence quickly shines through in your interview and can even come through on your resume by you not highlighting and effectively communicating your achievements, results, and critical contributions. Be confident. If you aren’t confident, fake it until it becomes natural. #16 You lack critical expertise. Some people desire to be scrum masters but have never worked with engineering teams or know the essential agile/scrum ceremonies. Before you want to be something, learn the skillset, and communicate it effectively in your resume. If you don’t have the experience, complete a personal project and discuss it in your resume and during the interview process. #17 You’re only doing easy applies. You can get jobs if you submit easy-apply applications (i.e., a LinkedIn feature that allows you to apply to a job without filling out an application. All you do is submit your resume). I’ve received two offers off easy applies, but easy applies aren’t the end all be all. Many lazy applicants use this feature because they don’t want to take an extra minute or two to complete a lever application, which is also super quick and easy to fill out. #18 You have a bad attitude. Similar to #8, a lousy mindset will get you nowhere, and a bad attitude won’t get you far, either. Someone complained to me because they left their job and are now feeling regretful. They’re stressed out, almost broke, and still haven’t found a job. The worst part is they hated their job and were low-key facing employment abuse. Why be desperate for a horrible job when you can get a new one? All you have to do is reframe your mindset and consistently apply. Results always come to those who consistently apply with solid profiles and maintain a positive mindset throughout the job search. #19 You don’t have a clear objective. #5 and #10 are indirectly tied to this one. You’re driving in the dark if you’re unclear about your goals. I told a student before they commence their job search to determine what they do and don’t want in their next role. If they don’t do this, they will accept a role that misaligns with their desires and end up in the same place they are now – dissatisfied. #20 You’re inconsistently applying, not dedicated. How often are you applying for jobs? I paused the job search until I finalize my resume. Okay, when will your resume be done? Not sure yet, but I’m working on it. Next check-in: Is your resume updated yet? Not yet, but it’s coming. GifIf you don’t take the job search seriously, don’t expect companies to take you seriously. For the record, the resume will only be done once you accept and sign that job offer. Continuously optimize that resume to yield you the best results. #21 You’re not expanding your application network enough. Linkedin is the king of the job search – I highly recommend you start here. But don’t be exclusive. Date around a bit and use multiple job search engines. I’ve landed some fantastic interviews from more niche job search engine sites. #22 You just got started; give it time. Sometimes, you hear back from employers 1,2,3, or more months later. You’re in good hands if you just started applying for jobs a week ago and haven’t heard back from companies. And if you’ve started receiving rejection emails, you’re in excellent hands. The more rejections you receive, the closer you are to receiving your offer. Do not be discouraged, but encouraged. I never feel sad about a rejection. I only pay attention to the companies that grant me an interview; these are the ones that matter. What About The Dream Company? Don’t stop trying to break in if your dream company repeatedly rejects you. If you’re adamant, you’ll find a way. This happened to me with one specific company. It took about 2–4 years, but I finally did it after several rejections and consistency. #23 Bias – I can’t do anything about this. There are many types of age discrimination – most of which you can do nothing about. Most likely, you will never know when it does happen. Types of discrimination: Sex discrimination. Age discrimination. Color discrimination. Name discrimination. Gender discrimination. Sponsorship discrimination. Education discrimination (Tip: don’t display your graduation date).

If you don’t have an American or easy-to-pronounce, I do encourage you to utilize your actual name – unless you genuinely don’t have the desire.

You should never make this part of the job process easier for the hiring team.

Make people get your f*cking name right.

RECAP: 20+ Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Interviews, And Ultimately An Offer

Your resume basically sucks.

Your experience is entirely irrelevant.

Your experience doesn’t match the job description.

You’re failing the ATS.

Your experience is too general.

You don’t have suitable titles.

You’re not applying to enough jobs.

You’re not being positive.

You’re not networking enough.

You’re not applying to the right roles.

Don’t apply to too many DIFFERENT roles.

You’re not applying to the right companies.

You’re not improving your skillsets.

You don’t stand out.

You’re not confident.

You lack critical expertise.

You’re only doing easy applies.

You have a bad attitude.

You don’t have a clear objective.

You’re inconsistently applying, not dedicated.

You just got started; give it time. Sometimes, you hear back from employers 1,2,3, or more months later.

You’re not expanding your application network enough.

Bias – can’t do anything about this.

Get A Job In Tech – Become a medium member

This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.

This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.