5 reasons clients reject candidate submissions

A good candidate can still get a no. Often the reason has little to do with the person and a lot to do with what landed in the client's inbox. These are the five problems that come up most, and each one can be fixed before you press send.

1. It is not in the client's format

Many clients have a template: their own headings, their own order, sometimes their own table for skills and years. A submission that ignores it tells the client you did not read the instructions. Some will not open it at all. Keep each client's template to hand and put every candidate into it, every time.

2. Required details are missing

Rate, availability, location, work authorisation, notice period. If the client asked for it and it is not there, the submission stalls while someone chases you. Make a short checklist per client and tick it before sending.

3. The resume does not show the must-haves

The candidate may well have the experience, but if the client cannot find it in thirty seconds, it does not count. Put the experience that answers the job description near the top, in the candidate's own words, with the years and the project beside it.

4. It claims more than the resume supports

A summary that says "expert in" something the work history never mentions is the fastest way to lose a client's trust. One inflated submission makes them doubt the next ten. If a requirement is not met, say so and explain why the candidate is still worth a call.

5. It is too long, or too untidy

Mixed fonts, uneven spacing and a page limit ignored all read as carelessness. When a client sets a page limit, cut the least relevant lines rather than shrinking the text.

A quick check before you send

• Is it in this client's template?
• Is every detail they asked for filled in?
• Can they see the must-haves on page one?
• Does every claim appear in the resume?
• Is it within the page limit and tidy?

Cntrlall is built around this list: it puts a resume into each client's own Word template, keeps the candidate's facts as written, and lists the requirements a resume does not cover instead of filling them in.