Employers are looking for great talent – so why are you not getting hired?
Job searching is challenging. If you’re sending in resume after resume only to receive polite rejections – or no response at all – it can start to feel a little personal. On the other hand, when your skills and experience are exactly what the company is looking for, the stars align.
As you seek your next role, remember that the company wants to find a great employee as much as you want to find a great job.
Why am I not getting hired for jobs?
Despite repeated rejections making it feel like you’re taking a bit of a battering, try not to take it personally. With hundreds of applications for every vacancy, it’s quite normal not to be offered every role. You can, however, improve your chances.
Take a look at these top reasons that applicants don’t get hired. Are you guilty of falling into any of these traps?
1. Your resume is letting you down
Make sure your resume is the absolute best representation of you it can be, and that it’s always up to date. You never want to be caught short when someone asks for your resume.
If you are looking for a job now, the best thing you can do is make sure your resume is well-formatted, free of error, and accurately represents your most relevant skills and accomplishments. Of course, it helps if you know how to write a resume.
2. You’re hiding online
Make it easy to find you. If people were to Google your name (and they probably will when they see your resume), then make sure there are good things to find. Most of the time, a search of your name will go right to your LinkedIn profile, so make sure you’ve spent some time polishing it.
3. No-one is speaking up for you
Find people who have good things to say about you and ask them to say it! Ask for recommendations and endorsements on LinkedIn and also ask previous colleagues and bosses if they will serve as a reference. Not only will this boost your confidence, it will boost your potential employer's confidence in you as well.
4. You’re unemployed
If you’re not currently working, try volunteering. The benefits are numerous. You’ll be energized by having a purpose in the midst of your search, you’ll be doing some good for a worthwhile cause, and you’ll be meeting new people – which can also lead to new opportunities. It also looks great on a resume.
5. You’re not building your network
There are a lot of ways to get out and meet people and it never hurts to get outside your comfort zone. A quick Google search will probably reveal several in-person or virtual networking groups you can join. There are also virtual groups by trade or profession, not to mention job and career fairs.
Participate in your professional community by contributing articles or attending speaking events. The more people who know you, the more people there are to recommend and refer you. And of course, the more people you know, the more people you can in turn help to find their next great place of employment.
6. You’re neglecting your existing network
Has it been a while since you caught up with some of your past colleagues, managers, college friends, and industry contacts? Out of sight, out of mind! It’s well worth reconnecting with your network.
You can mention your job hunt and discuss the type of roles you’re looking for, which in turn could lead to advice and referrals – but just as importantly, you’ll be at the top of their mind should an opportunity arise in the future. Networking isn’t just for when you’re job searching, though – the strongest connections are nurtured regularly.
7. You’re not clear on your goals
The most successful job hunts are targeted. That means you need to have a specific type of role in mind, so that you can create a tailored resume and be very clear with your network about what you envisage for your next steps. Trying to cover too many bases means your unique strengths and areas of expertise are diluted.
8. You’re a little bit too honest
We’ve all worked for bad managers, in toxic teams, or in less-than-ideal environments – but your job search isn’t the place to dwell on it. Speaking badly about current or previous colleagues or employers is bad form and makes you look less than professional.
Not convinced? In that case, remember that no-one wants to work with a Moaning Myrtle and keep your thoughts to yourself.
9. You lack confidence
This is a tricky one, especially as a long and fruitless job search can put huge dents in your confidence, but when you’re asking yourself, “Why am I not getting hired?”, this could be part of the equation.
Selling yourself into a role requires a certain level of self belief, so thinking back over your past successes and looking at how far you’ve come could work wonders for your confidence – and your chances of success.
10. You’re focused on the salary
It’s true – very few of us work for the pure love of it, so of course the salary is important. But focusing solely on the salary is a mistake.
Consider: there could be scope for salary negotiation if you receive an offer, a lower salary could be offset by other benefits such as health insurance, and a salary cut could get your foot in the door of an organization where there are opportunities to progress in the future.
Bonus reason: you’re not asking for feedback
We gave you our top 10 reasons for not getting hired, but here’s a failsafe way to improve every single application: ask for feedback! Whether you’re being rejected at the application, phone screen, or interview stage, you’ll just keep making the same mistakes if you don’t actively seek out the reasons for your rejection.
It only takes a couple of minutes to thank the recruiter or hiring manager for their time and ask for feedback. Their response will help you avoid the same pitfalls on your next application and keep the conversation running so that the recruiter will remember you for the next vacancy.
Why am I not getting hired after interviews?
Are you making it to interview stage and then being ghosted? It’s a common problem. Our top three tips to smash an interview are:
Do your research into the role and the company
Go armed with plenty of real-life examples from your career
Follow up a couple of days later
Find out more in our blog What Not to Say at an Interview
Keep on keeping on!
The job hunt is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re asking “Why am I not getting hired anywhere?”, your first step is to make sure you’re not making any of the mistakes we’ve discussed.
If you still have no luck, why not get some free advice to make sure it’s not your resume holding you back? Send it to the experts at TopResume for a free resume review and you’ll be making progress towards your next role in no time.
This article was originally written by Carrie Maldonado and has been updated by Jen David.
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Jen David is the Director of CV Shed. She has been writing CVs since 2010 and is a certified CV Writer. She has worked with clients in numerous industries and at all stages of their careers, from students through to senior executives of global businesses. She loves producing polished, focused CVs, enabling her clients to take the next step in their careers. Jen has written numerous articles for publication on industry-leading job boards.
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