Rejection Review: 7 Reasons for Not Getting the Job
On paper you could be the perfect candidate and have multiple interviews lined up. You may be excited for the interview, buying a new outfit or getting your hair cut. On the day, you thoroughly prepare yourself: understated make up and jewellery, looking professional and business like.
You arrive to your interview in good time, trying to look calm and mentally preparing yourself. You come out of the interview feeling positive and waiting for the call to offer you the role. BUT – a few days letter you receive a rejection call – AGAIN! You can’t figure out what you’re doing wrong. The following 7 points will allow you to reflect on your technique and better your chances of securing the job and your next interview:
- Lack of Research:
You may have read the job description over and over again and know what the role entails – but have you really read up on the company? It is always recommended to visit the website and be able to tell the interviewer something about their company. Whether you state figures you’ve read up on or a few of their customers or clients. Regardless of the role you are going for, it is good to make the interviewer be able to feel good about the business and know that you’ve taken the time to read up on their successes as a company.
- Lack of Substantive Preparation:
Yes, you may look the part for the interview and may have mentally prepared a few answers for some of the questions you could be asked. But, if you aren’t getting the offers there could be something amiss in the substance of your answers or in the tone or style. Try practicing your responses in front of a mirror. Observe how you look when you deliver them. You need to feel prepared enough to give a confident answer instead of stammering and looking for the right words to say – but at the same time you don’t want to rehearse it so much that you sound robotic.
- Coming On Too Strong:
You may be naturally gregarious, but you need to leave the majority of that side of you outside the interview room. Do not allow yourself dominate the conversation and don’t talk so fast that the interviewer can’t keep up! An overbearing personality is usually seen as a threat to teamwork and cooperation.
- Coming On Too Weak:
In addition, you cannot be seen as unassertive and unable to have an opinion about something. You can’t come across as someone who will allow others to walk all over you or take advantage of you and be afraid to voice your ideas. You need to find a middle ground – this is where practicing your answers and the tone of your voice is very important.
- Be A Good Listener:
Managers are usually emotionally invested in their companies and like to speak about their accomplishments, how the company has grown and the great people they have within the business. After the interview, many people think that it was the interviewer speaking most of the time and not taking the time to find out about them. However, they are then surprised when they then get a job offer! Therefore, the best thing to do is to sit up attentively, listen, display good eye contact, and give non verbal cues to show interest – small nods, small smiles and a tilt of the head to show interest. It makes you look as though you are really interested in the company and working for them and not just because you want a job!
- Don’t Be Afraid to Admit A Weakness In A Skill Or Knowledge:
If you come across sounding like you are an expert at everything you need to do within the position you risk coming across sounding like a fraud or being over-qualified for the position. If you are asked a question that you don’t know the answer to or don’t have any experience within don’t try and talk your way round it. Instead, just tell the interviewer you don’t know the answer but ensure them that you are a quick learner and will look forward to learning about that area. It will make you look both smart and honest.
- When you’re asked if you have any questions, don’t pull out a list:
Towards the end of the interview, it is very common for the interviewer to ask if you have any questions. It is always best to have some questions in your mind and they should relate to the position, not your benefits, pay or hours – these will be given to you in writing or explained to you. Questions recommended include: “How will the IT department be expanding over the next several years?” or about the department you will be in if you were to get the job. Even if you are desperate for the job, money or other benefits – don’t let the interviewer know!
Now, go back over the list and reflect on how you conduct yourself during an interview. There are probably a few things you could change before your next interview. Start practicing now and increase your chances of getting that job. Good Luck!
Source: theundercoverrecruiter.com
