5 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Hired

It's important to know why you aren’t getting hired. Maybe you need to change just one thing or add something to your resume. Either way, this list will help you discover the reasons why you aren’t getting hired and help you so that you can land your next great job. 

1. You’re showing a lack of passion
HR professionals like to see that the potential candidate has enough enthusiasm, energy, and passion to succeed at the job. Employers can sense when the passion isn’t there. To combat this, have a good attitude and convey more excitement and enthusiasm in your application. List all the details why you want to work for the company, use strong action verbs in your resume, and share what attracted you to the role in the first place. Explain how you can be benefit for the company and what you can do to help

2. Your application needs work
Perhaps you didn’t use the right format, maybe you included too much information on your resume, or maybe you didn’t include enough. Your resume and cover letter overall could be the biggest reason why you aren’t getting hired. Your application is incredibly important because it is the employer's first impression of you. If they like your application, you move to the interview stage, but if your application needs work, or doesn’t properly demonstrate your skills, they may not call you back at all. To enhance your resume, include a compelling introduction outlining yourself and your talents, and make sure when listing your previous experience you tailor it to the job description. For example, if a company is searching for someone who can be “flexible” and “cooperative” it would benefit you to list these as skills in both your cover letter and resume. 

3. You need to improve on your interview skills
It’s normal to not be perfect at interviewing but this also could be the thing holding you back from getting hired. Perhaps the employer liked your application and wanted to talk with you more but after meeting you in person, they decided you aren’t a good fit for the job. To improve your interview skills, you first need to look the part! Make sure to wear a nice clean shirt to the interview and be sure you’re clothing is wrinkle-free. Decide for yourself whether you need to dress more casually or fancy depending on the company. The way you dress is incredibly important in order to make a good first impression. Putting effort into your clothing and grooming choices shows that you care and are willing to put effort in the job too. Aside from the way you dress and present yourself, knowing how to answer the interview questions is obviously important too. Make sure to pay full attention to the interviewer when they ask you questions and think about what you want to say before blurting your thoughts out. It’s ok to pause and think. 

4. You’re underqualified
In this case, you simply just might not have enough skills or experience for the job. This can be remedied however. Review job postings for positions that are just out of reach (these are called stretch jobs) and understand the qualifications that are needed to land a position like that. By expanding your skillset, you will be able to land positions you were once underqualified for. 

5. You need a connection
A lot of times today, people need connections to get somewhere. If you don’t know someone personally in the company, you may not be able to find a way in. Companies can be very selective sometimes when choosing the right candidate. In order to build more connections, you need to put yourself out there more. Try to make more friends and networking contacts by going to career event related to what you want to do. Talk with people there, try to make genuine connections (helpful tip to get started—compliment someone), and you just might build some contacts that could help you later.

It can be frustrating when you don’t get the job you want, but these small tweaks can help you pivot in a new direction.