How often do you hear back from employers?

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So I've been unemployed for 3 years and 9 months - in this time I've had at MOST 4 interviews, and I never seem to hear back from potential employers no matter how many applications I make or CV's I send.

At the start this was understandable because I don't use a phone and thus employers phoning me would go ignored, but now I have found ways around this yet I still hear nothing - correction, I heard from someone once for a hotel room maid, when I informed them I am a 'home-maker' (the one time when this might fly) I never heard back from them. Obviously most employers must get thousands of applicants, however at the same time it still stands to reason when I'm applying for jobs I can obviously do that I should be getting some replies back! Right now I'm applying for work as a security guard, as I'm female they should be climbing over themselves to give me a job, but they're not.

I'm a bit concerned about this - I worked helping people get jobs, so I know how to write a CV etc. although perhaps my lack of humanness shows through or my inability to use a phone is putting them off - I also suspect local agencies have black balled me after going so long trying to contact me via phone but getting no where as I couldn't answer the phone or phone back.

To me being unemployed for this long implies there's something wrong...I just don't know what!

why no phone?

i was unemployed for 12 years. i applied for dozens of jobs. i had half a dozen interviews, all because i scored so high on civil service exams that the law required them to interview me. i was qualified for every job i applied for. the vast majority never even sent a rejection. it was, i'm sure because i used to practice medicine, and the fact that i was looking for lab or similar work just didn't compute to employers. then there was the gap in my resume. in one interview they let me know they thought i'd be at risk for missing lots of time from work after i explained the resume gap as caused by an illness in remission and expected to stay in remission.

i eventually got a satisfying job i've had for 3 yrs. i guess not giving up paid off.

I'm AS, can't use a phone as a result.
It always baffles me that fellow autistic's don't twig to this.

I do have a gap in my employment, in all fairness...but then how are we supposed to fill that gap if no one gives us a job?!
I'd also say being over-qualified is an issue for me too, I'm not exactly skilled or all that qualified, however right now the job centre are still forcing me to apply for shop assistant and check-out roles...my CV clearly doesn't fit to these jobs.

i did several types of volunteer work so there was at least something on my resume and some recent references - swimming instructor, tutor of english as a second language, reading the newspaper to the blind. the volunteer work helped me get my present position.

I am finally being employed for the first time; I start on sunday. I have been looking for over a year, sent out at least 20 applications, but it came down to the local egg producer being short-handed. It's a family business, and seems like a great place to work. Apparently the packing manager was impressed by my scouting career.


I can't remember any significant callbacks or interviews. One old-person home called several candidates (including me) supposedly to interview, but instead they told us that they were still looking but we were all they had so far, and that dinner would be served soon so we all had to leave. I don't think I'd work there if they begged me after that stunt.

Unfortunately most employers don't respond to unsuccessful applicants. Even a quick email would be better than nothing.

I would expect communication skills (both in person and over the phone/radio) to be important for a security guard job.

Pfft, never. I'm lucky to get a rejection letter from the post!

I rarely heard back from employers when I look for a job but however I once got a letter from Dairy Queen telling me they found others who had better experience than me. I don't remember what was said in it and I had a hard time understanding it so I had my mother read it and she told me it means I didn't get the job and they found someone else who had experience.


Back in 2007, I looked for work aggressively everyday five days a week and I would sometimes get phones calls for an interview but I had already had a job by then. That was the only time I ever felt normal and got a job in three weeks of looking and kept getting phone calls for an interview.

It depends on what you look at for me, I apply to quite a few jobs, even if I don't feel I'm qualified for them (not grossly unqualified, just in the 2 or so years of experience shy of what they're looking for region). If you include all of those, I get contacted back maybe 10% of the time. The ones for which I'm qualified I hear back on some level about 50% of the time, with a phone interview about 25% of the time. I truly hate phones too, but in my field (engineering), job screenings typically start with a 30 minute phone interview, if they like you, you'll be brought in for a half-day or longer interview with several people (typically the person who would be your supervisor, their supervisor, the head of the engineering department, and someone from HR). I typically only get on site interviews around 1% of the time. Mind you, I've applied to nearly 1,000 jobs in the past 4 years, most of which was in the first two years, before I went back and spent 2 more years getting my Master's, I'm only just now heading back into the job market.