Four things you must do when employers never respond to your application

The only way to get a job is to apply for it. 

😃When you find a job that looks promising, you send in your resume and apply for the position. A few hours, days, even weeks go by and you haven't heard anything. There are a number of reasons why an employer may not respond to you personally after turning in your application.

What it comes down to is the more time that passes between your application and not hearing back from the employer, it often means the employer is no longer considering you for the position.

If you haven't heard back from an employer, here are 4 essential things you must do in order to get the closure you need.

1. Contact the employer in a respectful manner

Employers are not required by law to respond to applicants. Of course, it would be nice of them to respond to you, even to just let you know you aren't being considered for the job, just so you can settle your mind. If a week has passed since you applied for the position, it never hurts to reach out to the employer to inquire about the status of your application - but only in a respectful manner.

The last thing you want to do is show a prospective employer that you are rude and disrespectful. Kindly ask about the job, whether or not you're still being considered, and when they give you an answer, thank them and don't contact them about it again.

Be as kind and courteous as possible when contacting any prospective employer. An applicant's actions speak volumes to an employer. If you present yourself in the best way possible, there's no telling whether they may reach out to you in the future about another opportunity available at the company.

2. Look over your application documents again

If an employer isn't considering you for a position that you are well-qualified for, it may be time to give your resume and other application documents another look through. There's always something that can be improved on your resume that will help you to stand out on future job applications.

Chances are, you may be highlighting things on your resume that don't directly apply to the jobs you're applying for. Make sure you cater your resume to specific positions so employers can see you have the right skills and experience that the employer is looking for.

3. Don't settle for less

If you have years of experience in certain positions, just because one employer turned you down, doesn't mean others will. You have the experience you do because you worked hard for it. Even if you don't have years of experience and you're just entering the workplace, you have a willingness to learn from new jobs in order to gain more experience.

Do not think for a second that you should apply for jobs requiring less experience because one job requiring more experience passed you up. If you feel you are qualified for a position, prove it to the employer by highlighting your key skills and experiences in your resume and cover letter. If you're lucky enough to get to an interview, prove to them how much you want the job and what they would be losing out on if they were to pass you up.

4. Move on, and keep looking

Don't get discouraged. There is an employer out there looking for a job seeker like you. Don't give up your search, because employers are searching for you too. Employers often have a good idea of the sort of candidate they'd like to fill the open position, but sometimes their expectations can change when they find the right candidate willing to prove themselves to be the right fit for the position. Just because one employer passed you up doesn't mean the next one will.

Don't be afraid to sit on your resume and cover letter and other application documents for a while and really edit them to make them shine. Once you feel like they really highlight the best things about you (and do it honestly) send them out to more employers and I guarantee you'll get called in for an interview and most importantly, hired.