The process of searching for a potential job and then securing it can be a long and bumpy road with many failures along the way. This shouldn't be a cause for concern, however, with nearly every job seeker experiencing rejection at one time or another on their way to landing their first major role.

Sometimes you may make it to the interview stage and fail, sometimes you may not even make it to the interview at all, the most important thing to remember though is to not give up and to continue trying as eventually, everything will fall in to place. 

But how long should you keep trying for and how many job applications does it take before you get an interview? HRS are here to tell you! 

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In 2016, a study was conducted that concluded the total number of job applications needed to secure one interview was 27. This proves that one or two job application rejections shouldn't get in the way of you continuing your job search! If you have faced rejection and are looking for ways in which you can improve your chances for the next one, here are a few things that you can do. 

Talk to the employer 

When you find out that your job application wasn't successful, it's always worth asking the employer for feedback and for the reasons as to why your application wasn't taken any further. The majority of employers will not mind answering any questions that you may have if you ask them politely enough and if you're lucky, they could also provide you with some useful advice that helps you to understand why you missed out in the opportunity and what you can do in the future to improve your chances. 

Some of the most common reasons employers give to not taking job applications further are:

• Lack of self-confidence 
• Unrealistic expectations 
• Lack of job-specific knowledge 
• Lack of interest in the company as a whole 
• Not enough relevant experience 

Look back at your CV

One of the biggest factors involved in securing a position is the quality of your CV. In order for your CV to stand, you need to make sure it is concise, relevant and displays all of the strengths that you are able to bring to the hiring company. The average employer will spend just 8.8 seconds looking at your CV, so it's important that in this time, they are able to quickly pick out the information they need and make a quick judgement on whether to progress your application further. Here is a couple of things to make note of:

• Is your CV too long? - Does your CV offer concise, relevant information that can be picked out quickly?
• Is your CV too short? - A very brief CV gives the impression that you lack the relevant experience and skillset.
• Does your CV contain mistakes? - Spelling and grammatical errors are a huge sign for employers that you may be unsuitable for the position they are offering, demonstration a lack of care and attention to detail.

Build your experience 

As we have mentioned above, one of the most common reasons for not getting an interview is a lack of experience. Before being invited to an interview, your CV (and cover letter if needed) should demonstrate all of the relevant experience that makes you ideal for the role that you're applying for.

For many of you, you may think that because you haven't had a similar role in the past, you won't have any experience that's worth mentioning, but this just isn't true. No matter what roles you have occupied in the past, if you think outside of the box, more often than not you will be able to offer something relevant. Here are a few examples:

• Achievements that demonstrate your suitability for the role 
• Examples of problems that you solved using relevant skills 
• Relevant experience from seemingly unrelated jobs 

If you believe you do need more relevant work experience, however, there are countless opportunities available such as volunteering, paid courses or applying for a lower-level job that offers a taste of the work that you really want to be doing. 

By doing all of these things, you will put yourself in the best possible position to secure a job interview. Once that is done, then you can start perfecting your interview technique. You can found our job interview checklist to help make things a little easier below. 

Job Interview Checklist >

If you would like more information on how you can help yourself secure a job interview, be sure to visit our CV advice and tips page or get in touch with one of the life changers here at Hyper Recruitment Solutions today.