Are you submitting your resume for countless positions only to receive few or no call backs? Are you having trouble moving past the preliminary interviews? If you are answering yes to either of these questions you need to sit back and re-evaluate your resume. You must ask yourself if you are you applying for jobs that you’re qualified for to find the root of the problem. If you answer yes, then are you customizing your resume each time you apply for jobs?

50 percent of people applying for a given job simply aren’t qualified. Most companies use talent-management software to screen resumes, weeding out up to 50 percent of applicants before a human even looks at a resume or cover letter providing another obstacle a resume must overcome.

Here are 5 reasons you’re not hearing back after applying for a job.

  1. You really aren’t qualified.
  2. You haven’t keyword-optimized your resume or application.
  3. Your resume isn’t formatted properly.
  4. Your resume is substantially different from your online profile.
  5. The company received 500 resumes for one job posting, and yours was 499th in.

Click here for 5 suggestions for ways to counter these reasons.

So how do you rise up against these challenges and stand out? First, follow the above the above suggestions. Next, be sure you are networking and reach out to people you know at a company. Personal referrals go a long way. You should always research and follow companies of interest through social media. This way you can learn about the most recent job openings and even sometimes learn when they are filled. Lastly, asking others to review your resume can prove to be a huge help. You never know what feedback you may receive that you might have overlooked.