Reached 1000 mark...!!! Still no Interview call..???

[Darren_Test]

..

[smiff]

1000 apps in 7 weeks?

Wow, colour me impressed, I used to manage a miserly 2 or 3 a week.

[PAH]

Ask the agencies why you're not getting the interviews.

Maybe you've applied for too many, with a thousand copies of your CV swamping every vacancy. If so, your only option would be to wait a while and go and do something else, or change your name!

[ChimpMaster]

Have you considered that maybe a permanent role would suit you better? Don't get me wrong - I'm not a permie lover or anything - just that it might be the best option for the near future.

[oracleslave]

I got around 100 calls for these so far...BUT none of them resulted in interviews....!!!

As PAH says there must be a reason you are not getting past the first hurdle and getting an interview. You need to get feedback from agent/someone as to why that is asap. Once you get a couple of interviews then it should only be a matter of time.

[Ardesco]

I must admit that I'm surprised that you have kept count...

Try and get somebody to peer review your resume (assuming you know some other test contractors in RL). If you have the skills and are asking for the right rate there shouldn't be any real problem getting a gig.

Are you asking way below the rate you should be for your skill set? If so Agents may think that you are blagging and don't really have the experience, can't really see any other reason for them not putting you forward. If you get a gig they get money too.

[beaker]

You need to determine where in the process you are failing.

If you are getting calls from agents then your CV matches the job ad.

If you are not getting interviews it means either:
a) You are not impressing the agent when they call you, so they are not sending your CV to the client OR
b) The client is not impressed with your CV

Your rate seems reasonable to me.

If you haven't already, have a look at the CV writing tips on this site. I also have 2 versions of my CV that I use - one that emphasises my broader consulting experience and one that is very PM specific.

I get calls back about most of the jobs I apply for on Jobserve (where my CV matches the spec). I give the agent confidence I can do the job saying I've used the technology/worked in the industry/done similar projects before and my CV gets put forward. I then get interviews most of the time too.

Where I fall down is that I get told in interviews I look 14. And I'm only applying for contracts that are quite a bit higher paid and more senior than what I have done before.

[chicane]

Where I fall down is that I get told in interviews I look 14. And I'm only applying for contracts that are quite a bit higher paid and more senior than what I have done before.

Look on the bright side - this gives you a license to start smoking and drinking heavily. You'll soon have the aged appearance and lethargic attitude that characterises most PMs.

[beaker]

As an aside, I can see why people stay as permies. I'm getting pretty sick of doing interviews every 6-12 months...

[MrRobin]

Holy Mackerel! 1000 applications. Atleast no one can say you're not trying. A 1:10 rate for agents calls is fairly low too, I usually get 1:3 and then 1:10 for interviews... It must be your CV... as others suggest, have a look at the CV writing tips on this site and on ir35calc website too, they are very handy, and are specialised for contractors, not the general workforce etc.

Why don't you upload your CV somewhere we could access so we could critique for you? You can remove all the personal information first, ofcourse.