TOP 4 REASONS YOU DIDN’T GET THE JOB AND HOW TO FIX THEM

You aced the interview (or so you thought!) and knew without a doubt that you’d be offered the position. however, you didn’t even try!? So, what the heck happened??

Getting down on oneself, getting angry, or taking something personally is simple.

nevertheless, DO NOT! There could have been a number of factors involved, some of which you had no control over.

The pressure on hiring managers and recruiters/HR pros to find the best possible candidate in a short amount of time is great. This pressure comes from the need to find someone who is THE best fit for the position, who will have the greatest impact on the company, and who will be the most loyal employee.

And this FIT can be one of several “dimensions”. Specifically, it is usually one of these FOUR:

1) Experience with the Company Prior to This:

The successful applicant may have been a current client of the company or an internal candidate from another department or division who is familiar with the company’s norms, objectives, and procedures. There is a HUGE payoff for the business with almost no downside. An alternative explanation is that the successful applicant had previously interviewed with the company and made such a good impression that they were ultimately selected for the position in question.

Action Item: Don’t forget about the companies you’ve previously interviewed with or worked for. Maintain communication, keep the friendship alive, and occasionally express your continued enthusiasm. This is extremely useful.

2) A Mutual Contact or Referral:

It’s possible that the successful applicant was referred to the employer by someone who knew the hiring manager or recruiter (always a huge advantage for any applicant). It’s also possible that they were referred to Human Resources by a friend or acquaintance at the company (equally as helpful).

Action Item: Who do you know who can put you in touch with the hiring manager/recruiter, either directly or on your behalf? A recommendation from a current or former employee/contact of the company is an extremely valuable and trustworthy asset.

3) Most Effective and Economically Beneficial:

The successful applicant stood out from the beginning to the end of the hiring process with a strong “personal brand” that demonstrated the VALUE and IMPACT of their potential employment. In other words, their professional persona and message both online and offline made it abundantly clear that THEY were the one who could solve the problem in the quickest, most efficient, and most effective way possible.

Action Item: Think about talking to people you know or connecting with on LinkedIn who have held similar positions at the company in question, both in the past and the present, to find out what skills they possessed and how they showcased those skills in their online and offline profiles. You can learn a lot about a company by reading current and former employees’ reviews and recommendations on sites like vault.com and glassdoor.com.

4) Compatible with Your Culture Best:

The successful applicant was the one who was thought to fit in best with the company’s current team both socially and professionally.

Action Item: Do these 3 things to get into the company’s “head” before your next interview:

1) Learn to communicate effectively by reading reviews and comments left by current and former employees on sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Vault to gain insight into the company’s culture, expectations, and jargon.

2) Construct “instant rapport” by researching your interviewers on LinkedIn in advance, learning about their experience, connections, and interests so that you can connect with them on a more personal and engaging level during the interview itself.

3) Look up employee trends on LinkedIn and Google (for example, many companies value former military personnel or competitive athletes, who are indicative of certain mindsets/mental abilities that translate well into the workplace), and if you DO possess any of these, be sure to highlight them during the conversation!

Get out there and SMASH that interview!