There are few things in the job seeker’s world more frustrating than sending off a resume for a job that should be a slam-dunk, followed by the echoing silence of no response. Even worse is the sinking feeling that accompanies reading a standard rejection: “Thank you for your application … don’t call us, we’ll call you”. At least with no response you can pretend they’re going to call. Someday.

If you were sitting in the interviewer’s seat, you’d at least want to meet with an applicant with your experience and/or credentials. So why is your calendar wide open? See if any of the following apply to you:

1) Getting Your Foot in the Door Can Boomerang on You.

Job seekers have traditionally been advised to follow up every application with a phone call or a drop-in visit asking to schedule a meeting with the boss. Some job hunt gurus still advocate this approach.

I get their point. If you care enough to go that far, then you must sincerely want the job.

But keep in mind that hiring managers are busy, and there are reasons why they have systems in place to screen applicants. There may be some who appreciate your moxie in finding a way to get past the receptionist, but most will not appreciate you leapfrogging the usual procedures.

2) Template Suicide.

Resumes are expected to follow a prescribed format; chronological, skills-based, etc. Search for resume examples online and you’ll probably find a format that fits your work history.

Where you might run into trouble is the cover letter. If the only change you make to your letter before applying for a job involves inserting the job title, whoever reads it will be able to tell you spent a whopping 5 seconds putting it together. Think of it as the reverse of the standard rejection notice; employers don’t want to feel like they’re just another name on a list in your campaign to find a job.

Using a letter template is fine, but include information that shows specifically why you’re interested in the job and what makes you the right candidate. It’s true that many hiring managers don’t bother to read the cover letter, but if you’re going to go to the trouble of sending one, why not take the time to make it a knockout instead of a ho-hum form letter?

3) Attack of the File Label Clones.

Be careful how you label your resumes and cover letters when you send them electronically. Avoid the dreaded “resume.doc” and “letter.doc”. When 30 applicants all send in a “resume.doc”, files can be misplaced or mixed-up. The less work a hiring manager has to do to store and find your info, the less likely it is you’ll get lost in the shuffle.

One option is to including your name and/or job title in the file name. It's a nice personal touch that can help your resume stand out in a sea of applications. If you had a pile of “resume.docs” waiting to be read and one “MaryJonesResume.doc”, which would draw your attention first?

4) Failure to Proofread. Woe unto the job seeker who thinks they can get away with a typo or wonky grammar. Making sure your job application is 100% perfect is advice that probably started circulating around when the first resume was carved into a cave wall, yet I still see resumes and cover letters with glaring errors.

Until you get an interview, your resume is your only way of communicating who you are. Mistakes suggest carelessness, sloppiness, and a lack of professionalism. If you’re not entirely confident that it’s error-free, ask a friend to review what you’ve written. And maybe ask another friend, to be on the safe side.

5) Missing Keywords.

If you apply for a job by posting your resume either to a mass job site or to a large employer's website, there’s a good chance there’s a computer somewhere scanning applications to see if they make the first cut.

What do these industrious computers scan? Keywords, of course.

Look at the bottom of the job ad you’re responding to; some of them list the keywords they want to see. Be sure to include these keywords in your application to be considered for an interview.

Another popular method for filtering candidates is requiring them to complete an electronic candidate profile. These are those delightful questionnaires that ask you to enter all the information on your resume via an endless series of check boxes and the occasional field where you can type something. It may feel like these systems are designed for the sole purpose of annoying you, but it's just another way for computers to do front-end screening.

Review the job posting to find out the key qualities and skills that are required, and find ways to include these in your electronic profile.

Unless you're one of those lucky people who gets an interview after sending out just a handful of resumes, you're probably going to spend far more time applying for jobs than interviewing. Don't let a depressing resume-to-interview ratio slow down your job search. You might not get an interview if you apply, but you're guaranteed you won't get one if you don't even bother sending in your resume.