I've applied to 100 jobs and heard nothing. What am I doing wrong?

Efri · 1 min read

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A hundred applications with no response tells you something is broken, but it does not automatically mean cold applications are useless.

Start with the application itself. Most large employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to store, filter and route applications.

An ATS is not a magical robot that rejects every résumé missing one keyword, but your CV still needs to make the role, skills and relevant experience easy for both software and a human reviewer to understand.

Take one job you genuinely fit and test your CV against it.

Use the language of the role where it is accurate, make the relevant experience obvious near the top, remove decorative formatting that makes scanning harder, and check whether your strongest evidence is visible in seconds.

Tools such as Jobscan can help you spot keyword and formatting mismatches, but do not turn the CV into a pile of copied phrases.

Then look at targeting. Are you applying to roles that actually match your level and experience? If the CV is sound and the fit is real, change the channel as well: referrals, direct outreach, recruiters, alumni and conversations with hiring managers.

Zero responses means diagnose the whole job-search funnel, fit, ATS readability, CV, positioning and channel, not simply “apply more.”