Didn’t get an interview? What was in and out of your control?

It’s demoralising when job applications don’t convert to interviews.  Frustration grows as you wonder why you have been rejected. What was in and out of your control?

Truth is many of the reasons you didn’t get an interview have absolutely nothing to do with you.  But conversely some reasons do have a lot to do with you.

What is the % of rejections IN & OUT of your control?    After over 20 years in recruitment, careers and job search coaching, I wager it around 60% OUT and 40% IN.

Here are the main reasons why you didn’t get in the interview hot seat:

OUT of your control

~ Ghost /fake job – see more below
~ Role already been earmarked internally
~ ATS (Application Tracking System) bumped out
~ Gender, ageism, industry or other bias – a clear NO GO zone had already been set

~ Fake companies posting fake jobs to steal a candidate’s identity 
~ Hiring manager/ recruiter has no idea of what they need/skill awareness /incompetent
~ Lazy /urgent recruitment process – take first 10 applications to interview 

Read how to detect fake and ghost jobs in my interview with News Corp:

IN your control

~ You didn’t inspire and sell compelling reasons to meet you
~ Poor unbranded resume
~ Untailored generic cover letter (or no cover letter)
~ Sprayed & prayed to any role (note mistakes made with names etc)
~ No proactive contact
~ Didn’t address process requests

Takeaway – OUT of your control

~ Bottom line is that even for brilliant candidates who send amazing resumes & cover letters to knock the socks off anyone, they still may not get an interview.

~ You want to minimise the risk of sending your hard efforts into an abyss of no hope. For senior executives and professionals with decades of expertise under your chops you must prepare and investigate prior to application.

Takeaway – IN your control

~ A powerful unique resume without clichés that demonstrates not states. It will hit the reader over the head like a Samboy chip thinking ‘we so need to meet this person’.

~ Research the organisation thoroughly and demonstrate you are not spraying and praying. Make the reader feel a little special (well the hiring company).

~ A LinkedIn career branded profile which is inspiring and complete. All roads lead to LinkedIn from Google and a crappy profile will don’t help convert.

~ The Experience section on LinkedIn matches your Resume. Trust is built and destroyed with different stories and histories.

~ For the love of good champagne and coffee, don’t spray and pray.

~ Address potential push backs/ageism creatively in your application.

Take control where you can and let yourself off the angst self doubt pedal when necessary.

Learn more about how and when to take control, write great resumes & cover letters:

Job Search & Career Marketing Action Guide