When job hunting isn't working

Sending CVs and hearing nothing back

If you've sent off CV after CV and heard nothing, you're in very large company, and it's rarely about you. Here's why it happens, what tends to help, and how Someo works differently.

Free for people, always. No CV, no experience needed.

Last reviewed November 2026

Why you hear nothing

Silence usually says more about how hiring works than about you. A few things are going on:

  • A popular advert can get far more replies than one person can read, so many are never opened.
  • Larger employers often use software that sorts CVs by keywords and past jobs before a person looks at any of them.
  • Adverts ask for experience even for work that's learned on the job, which screens out people who'd be good at it.
  • Some roles are filled by someone the place already knows before the advert comes down.

What tends to help

  • Go to small local places in person, at a quiet time, and ask who to speak to. A face is harder to ignore than an email.
  • Send fewer, and make each one about that place: why there, and what you'd be like to work with.
  • Tell people you know that you're looking. A lot of work is found through someone who knows someone.
  • If a place does reply with a no, ask politely what would have made the difference.
  • Talk to a careers adviser. The National Careers Service is free and helps with CVs, interviews and what to try next.
Get free advice from the National Careers Service ↗

A different way round: being introduced

Someo doesn't work by sending things into a queue. You have a short chat about yourself, with no questions about past jobs, and Someo writes a description of how you work that you approve.

It then introduces you to places that work the way you do, with a sentence or two on why you'd suit each other. Either of you can say yes. When you both have, a conversation opens, and that's the first time anyone sees your details.

Every role on Someo comes with training, so nobody is screened out for a lack of experience, and it's free for people.

If it's getting you down

Weeks of silence wear anyone down, and it's easy to take it personally. Try to keep the search to a set part of the day, keep doing the things you enjoy, and talk to someone about how it's going. It's a slow process for almost everyone, and it does end.

Open on Someo right now

None of these ask for a CV or experience. Open one to see what the place is like and say you're interested.

Nothing is open this minute. Places on Someo can say yes to people before they advertise anything, so it's worth setting up your picture.

Nothing advertised? You can still meet places.

Most places don't advertise until they're desperate. On Someo they don't have to. A place can set up, see who it overlaps with and say yes to you before it has listed anything, and you can tell a place you'd like to work there. When you both say yes, a conversation opens.

Questions people ask

Why am I not hearing back from jobs?

Most often because of volume and filtering, not because of you. Popular adverts get more replies than anyone can read, and many employers sort CVs by keywords and experience before a person looks.

Is it normal to hear nothing after sending a CV?

Yes. Many employers only reply to the few people they want to meet, so silence is common, even for people who would do the work well.

How do I get a job when every advert wants experience?

Look for work that's learned on the job and places willing to train. On Someo every role comes with training, and you're introduced by how you work, not by past jobs.

How is Someo different from a job board?

There's no CV and nothing to send off. You chat about yourself once, Someo introduces you to places that suit you, and a conversation opens only when you and the place have both said yes.

Is Someo free?

Yes. Someo is free for people, always.

Somewhere needs someone like you.

Five to ten questions about you, and you're ready to be introduced. Free, always.