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14 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get the Job and How to Fix It

why you didn't get the job

If you’re experienced with executive job search, you may feel you know what to do to get the job you want and deserve.

So you have a routine that you stick to:

  • Search on job boards and company websites for postings that look even somewhat right for you.
  • Send them your “cover all the bases” resume, designed to fit any job you’ll apply for.
  • Sit back and wait to be deluged with interview offers.

But you’re not hearing from the companies you want to work for.

And when you do get interviews, you rarely get past the first round.

And when you do get past the first round, you’re not getting job offers.

What’s happening?

Let’s take a look at what you may be doing wrong.

14 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get the Job

Based on the suggestions in this Muse article, some of the reasons below apply once you’re in the interview process, no matter how you got there.

And some apply when you’re responding to job postings, which I’ve noted many times isn’t the best job search method for executives (especially c-suite and other senior executives).

Networking is the best way to land a job you covet and deserve.

But there will be times that you DO want to apply to job postings on job boards and company websites. That’s what we’re looking at here.

When You’re Not Landing Interviews

1. Your resume isn’t targeted

resume targeting

Your resume could be the problem, if it (along with your cover letter, if applicable) isn’t targeted towards the employers you’re want to work for.

If your approach to job search is to have a one-size-fits-all resume that will work for any kind of job, you may have a tough go of it.

The purpose of your resume and other job search materials (cover letters, bio, LinkedIn profile, etc.) is to show employers what makes you a good hiring choice.

Not every employer you want to work for will need the same qualities and qualifications in candidates.

That means you need to find out what each employer will be looking for in candidates and how you will help them meet specific needs, so your resume and other job search materials will convey what they want to see in them.

It also means that these materials need to include plenty of relevant keywords and phrases, that typically represent your hard skills and other qualifications.

Keywords come into play with everything you post online and in your ATS-friendly resume.

The only way to bring all this together is to:

2. Your resume isn’t ATS-friendly

Recruiters and companies filter the resumes that candidates send them through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them match jobs to candidates.

You may be super-qualified and your resume shows it, but if you haven’t formatted it to make it through ATS, it may not be called up and reviewed. You may never be in the running.

3. You’re not qualified for the job

If you’ve sent a targeted resume and/or cover letter, and included all your relevant skills and qualifications, it may make it through their ATS.

But if you’re still not getting interviews, you may not meet enough of their qualifications.

4. You didn’t seal the deal by getting an employee referral

employee referrals

As I noted above, networking is best way to get the job you want, with a company you want to work for.

Purposeful networking leads you into the goldmine of hidden executive jobs that are never advertised or posted on job boards.

Networking towards employee referrals is the best way to network.

Besides reaching out to your professional connections and telling them what you’re looking for, don’t neglect your personal connections. Most anyone you know could hold the key to a foot in the door at your target companies.

One of the better networking strategies is informational interviews.

These are informal conversations with people working at the companies and in the fields in which you want to work, or people who are within a few degrees of separation from them.

It’s not a job interview and these people do not hold the reins on any particular jobs.

Although your mission with an informational interview is not to ask for a job or a referral, a referral could result from one.

Of course, there will be times that you can’t secure an employee referral, but it’s best to always try.

5. You didn’t set yourself up to attract more interviews

Along with actively pursuing interviews through social networking and other networking efforts, and by sending out your resume, you need to put in place other job search strategies, such as:

Read more in my article, 10 Best Ways to Get More Executive Job Interviews

When You’re Getting Interviews, But Don’t Get Past the First Round

You’ve gotten the interview. Good for you!

But you felt it didn’t go well and you don’t really know why. Or you DID think it went well, but you never hear again from them.

One or more of the following could be happening.

6. You didn’t prep well for interviews

prepare for interviews

You need to prepare for all kinds of interviews:

That means:

Read more in my article, Guide to Executive Job Interviews: The How-To’s, Why’s and Best Practices

7. Your qualifications are lacking

They may have misunderstood the extent of your qualifications, but it became clear in the first interview.

Or, you may have been misleading about your qualifications in your resume or other job search materials, and they didn’t become aware of it until the interview.

8. You didn’t pass a technical screen

As noted in the same Muse article as above:

“A technical screen could be a more formal technical interview, a copywriting test, or a coding question thrown in during a first-round interview—among other evaluations. In other words, anything that assesses your technical ability to do the job.

Failing the technical screen usually means an automatic rejection, so it’s absolutely critical that you do well enough to move forward. Luckily a skills test typically doesn’t require flawless execution, but if you’re struggling with technical assessments every time you interview with a new company, then you probably need to spend some time buckling down.”

9. It wasn’t a legit job posting

Companies sometimes put up job postings only as a formality. They were going to hire from within no matter what, but may have been legally (or otherwise) required to post the job and hold interviews.

When You Get Multiple Interviews, But No Job Offers

executive job interviews

There are 5 main reasons why your interviews did not result in a job offer:

  1. Although you met most or all of the qualifications, they found someone who was an overall better fit for the job.
  2. You didn’t perform as well as others and/or they didn’t like you as much.
  3. Your salary and compensation asks were too high or otherwise unacceptable.
  4. You weren’t positive and enthusiastic about the job and the company.
  5. Your references are not prepped well and may be bad-mouthing you.

You have no control over the first item. But, if they inform you that they’ve gone with someone else, you can let them know that you’d like them to keep you in mind if something else opens up that’s a good fit for you. Do this in a thank you note.

You CAN do something about the last 4 items.

You can do better with interview prep, as I outlined above, but you may not be able to become more likeable.

You can be better prepared for salary and compensation negotiations.

You can be more positive and enthusiastic, and let them know you really want the job. If you don’t really want the job, why are you there?

And you can do better with your references.

You may feel you’re providing the best possible references – people you’re sure are saying great things about you – but you don’t know what they’re actually telling people.

Even more concerning, a prospective employer will probably never inform you that an unfavorable reference was the reason they didn’t hire you.

Don’t assume that, just because you didn’t include someone on your reference list who you know will give you a poor recommendation, no one will contact them.

Read more in my article, One BIG Reason You’re Not Landing the Job.

 
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