Need some tips to get an interview

[rumomo50]

Hi,
I'm actually working like an IT contractor in uk but looking for a new role because my actual rate is very low. Like I'm not in a rush actually, the only thing I'm doing, and for sure is wrong, is using jobserve.com or similar sending my cv to different offers. The thing is I'm getting NO answers or calls, even my CV fits in most of the roles. I think my CV is not the issue, so….can you help me figure out why I’m not getting any answer?

1. I’m not adding any reference or recommendation letter?
2. Maybe they expect me to call instead only sending CV via email
3. I’m not English, but coming from the EU, so maybe I’m discarded because of my English level?

Any other thought?

[TheFaQQer]

3. I’m not English, but coming from the EU, so maybe I’m discarded because of my English level?

This one.

And probably that you have no track record to speak of as a contractor, so it would be risky to take you on.

It could well be your CV as well - does it fir the freelancer marketplace well?

[rumomo50]

This one.

And probably that you have no track record to speak of as a contractor, so it would be risky to take you on.

It could well be your CV as well - does it fir the freelancer marketplace well?

Well, I cannot assure that the CV is not the issue, I have seen some of them and follow the basic rules and looks ok to me, but I will need to double check and maybe create a new one.

I agree that option 3 could be the one that is stopping me to be called, but I think this depends of the market situation, if they receive lots of CV's then that the reason why I'm discarded immediately. Nothing much I can do really...

[mrv]

Hi,
I'm actually working like an IT contractor in uk but looking for a new role because my actual rate is very low. Like I'm not in a rush actually, the only thing I'm doing, and for sure is wrong, is using jobserve.com or similar sending my cv to different offers. The thing is I'm getting NO answers or calls, even my CV fits in most of the roles. I think my CV is not the issue, so….can you help me figure out why I’m not getting any answer?

1. I’m not adding any reference or recommendation letter?
2. Maybe they expect me to call instead only sending CV via email
3. I’m not English, but coming from the EU, so maybe I’m discarded because of my English level?

Any other thought?

It all depends on your skillset IMO. If you have very niche skills that happen to be in demand, agents won't care if you're 8 stories tall and a crustacean from the protozoic era. On the other hand, if your skills are very general, they can dismiss you for the tiniest of detail. No one in their right mind cares about references or recommendations IMO, why waste time reading more text when they can read less text (given they read at all). Calling is not necessary at all too, my experience shows agents are only willing to talk when they have something to say to you, otherwise it's just waste of time listening to their polished rebuttals.

Things like your level of english also come into play. Have someone check your cv for grammar errors, so agents won't be able to tell if you're native speaker or not. The only thing the agents sees about you is your cv, so if you aren't getting any feedback there must be something wrong with the cv. But above all it's your skills that matter. myself, I'm from EU too, though never had any difficulties getting interviews or contracts, so it is very possible.

[malvolio]

You might find this post and the surrounding thread of interest...

[TheFaQQer]

If you have very niche skills that happen to be in demand, agents won't care if you're 8 stories tall and a crustacean from the protozoic era.

Proterozoic eon

[rumomo50]

Thanks all for your replies! They are very interesting.

[Boo]

3. I’m not English, but coming from the EU, so maybe I’m discarded because of my English level?

If this is the issue then you could try putting a made-up English name and address in the CV and sending that out to see what happens. I think that the chances of a recruitment agency phoning someone abroad about a UK based role are small in the current market, so I am assuming you have a UK phone number, right ?

Boo

[ujjain]

I think your CV is basically the most important things to getting interviews. They don't know anything else about you, except for your CV. It's the only piece of paper they can decide the fact if they should invite you for an interview or not on.

[Antman]

If this is the issue then you could try putting a made-up English name and address in the CV and sending that out to see what happens. I think that the chances of a recruitment agency phoning someone abroad about a UK based role are small in the current market, so I am assuming you have a UK phone number, right ?

Boo

I can't see what it would serve, perhaps only whether the CV is working but it's a waste of time in every other way, wasting the agent's and client's time. Any interest generated would be null and void since the company want to interview Andrew Johnson not Andrei Ioanscu.

The UK address is a must though, if you don't have that there's no way the agent is going to be calling you.