You can apply for many jobs, hundreds in some cases, and never hear anything about your application. If you’re lucky, you may get a rejection letter or email message. If you’re not, you get no response from the employer. Or, you could interview for a job and get rejected even though it seemed like everything went really well. You can ask a recruiter why you weren’t chosen and occasionally receive some meaningful feedback. However, in almost all cases, interviewers will either not respond to requests for feedback or will offer a rationale like: “Though you were a strong candidate, we found someone who was more qualified.”
Top 10 Reasons You Did Not Get Selected for an Interview
Top 10 Reasons You Did Not Get the Job After an Interview
Sometimes, interviews go wrong. You could make an interview mistake that can cost you a second interview or a job offer. Even when you interviewed well there could be other candidates who did a better job or were more qualified. Here are some of the reasons why you may not get a job offer.
How to Handle Rejection
Do keep in mind that you could do everything right and still not get the job. It is quite possible that you presented yourself in the best possible fashion and were beat out by an extraordinary candidate who just offered more to the employer. If you have determined that the position was a good fit and you did your best to impress the interviewer, then all you can do is move on and pursue as many other options as possible with the same effective approach. Rejection can actually be a good thing in the long run. If the company didn’t think you were the best candidate for the job, it may have not been the best fit for you.
How to Move On After Being Rejected
In order to learn from this difficult experience and refine your job search techniques, it’s important to reflect upon all aspects of your job search and interview process.
Retrace Your Job Search Steps
By going through each step from phone screen to interview follow-up, you may be able to identify where your job search is getting bogged down.
Consider Getting Professional Advice
If you’re having trouble figuring out why you aren’t getting hired, it can be helpful to enlist the input of a career counselor, a friend, or a professional connection in your industry of interest as you are conducting this assessment. They may be able to offer some perspective.
Follow Up With the Employer
It can also be worthwhile to follow up with a response to the rejection. You can share your thanks for the consideration, and let the employer know you’re interested in other jobs that may be a better fit.
