8 Reasons Why You Didnt Get the Job

8 Reasons Why You Didnt Get the Job 8 Reasons Why You Didnt Get the Job 7 True, there are plenty of reasons completely out of your control that you may not have gotten the gig; perhaps they hired internally, encountered budgeting issues, or simply decided to move in another direction. But more often than most people would like to admit, the problem is more personal. As difficult as it is to face your failings, recognizing them can help you avoid the same rejection in the future. Read on for eight reasons why you may not have gotten a call back. 8 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get the Job You arent qualified for the job. You may have convinced yourself that you were qualified. You may have even been able to convince the hiring manager that you were qualified at first. But somewhere between submitting your resume and sitting down for an interview, the interviewer decided that you could not handle the job- at least not as well as someone else they interviewed. Allowing yourself to recognize that the job wasnt actually a good fit for your skill set will not only help ease the sting of rejection, but it will help you target your search more effectively in the future. You didnt sell yourself in the interview. Maybe you were the best candidate for the job and you knew it! But if you didnt clearly promote your strengths in the interview, theres no way for the interviewer to know what they are. In most cases, you only have a few minutes to impress someone, so theres no time to waste on bad answers or off-topic ramblings. Its important to be prepared with a list of reasons why youre perfect for the job, which you can then work organically into the interview. You oversold yourself. Just as dangerous as underselling yourself is going overboard. While confidence is important, no one wants to work with an egomaniac. A bit of humility goes a long way when describing your assets and professional triumphs. Its all about balance. You didnt seem interested enough. Perhaps you showed up to the interview late, unprepared, or under-dressed. Or maybe you just had a general attitude of boredom, which may or may not have been caused by nervousness. Either way, if you dont show recruiters that youre enthusiastic about the position, youre likely to be beat out by candidates who do. You didnt use your network effectively. Tapping into your network of professional contacts is especially important for freelancers. Knowing someone within the organization, or even a friend of a friend, can often help your chances of getting hired. Dont be ashamed to take advantage of who you know- it just might land you the job. You spoke negatively about your current or past employer. No matter how poorly they may have treated you, it never looks good to insult past or current employers. Take the high road and avoid saying anything negative. Your references werent supportive. Be careful when choosing someone to back you up professionally. Make sure that you trust them completely, because if they decide to focus on your weaknesses rather than your strengths, it could very well cost you the job. You made a post-interview slipup. Maybe you forgot to send a thank-you letter to an old-school CEO, or perhaps you tweeted about how awkward the interview was moments after leaving. Just because the interview is over doesnt mean you can stop your good behavior. Not getting a call back for a second interview does not necessarily mean you have done something incorrectly. However, if you find yourself in a rut of not getting a job or a call back, evaluate the areas where you could have potentially gone wrong and put more attention on those areas as you continue in your job search. Have you ever accidentally ruined your chances during a job interview? Share why you didnt get the job in the comments! Michelle has over 10 years of hiring and recruiting experience and a background in coaching and leadership development. At ResumeEdge*, Michelle recruits and hires resume writers, provides training and ongoing support, manages strategic partnerships, and serves as a subject matter expert on the job search process. *Editors note: The ResumeEdge service is temporarily unavailable.