Job interviews are the bane of many people's existence due to the fact the person on the other side of the table is out rightly judging you. So what happens when you are fresh off a great job interview only to discover an email from the hiring manager alerting you the job has been filled. What could have gone wrong? Turns out a whole lot and most of the time it isn't within your control. Here's what you should keep in mind before the what if's start floating around your head.
1
You weren't qualified
The most obvious reason why you would have been passed over for a job was that you simply were not the most qualified person they came across on their search. Or according to Alison Doyle, Job Search Expert for The Balance, you may have been overqualified. Doyle says, “You may have been as qualified as other applicants, but the hiring manager may not have perceived as a good fit for the company culture."
2
The budget was cut
Companies are not perfect. Sometimes they put plans into motion that are not secure. Maybe they were banking on a new client that would bring in a ton of work, and of course budget for a new role to help out with that work. According to Vicki Salemi, Monster's Career Expert, “Finance may have realized after the fact that budgets are on hold (a.k.a. there's a hiring freeze) for the rest of the fiscal year."
3
You came off as negative
Companies are looking for people who have great energy. Doyle points out that what raises the most red flags when it comes to hiring are people who tend to talk with negativity. “If you speak negatively about your current or previous jobs, bosses, or companies, the interviewer won't be impressed," says Doyle. This makes sense since they wouldn't want you bad mouthing them if you became an employee. “The other way to raise a red flag is to make the interview all about you and what you want, instead of about what you can do for the company. Keep it positive, and remember that you need to sell the interviewer on why you would be the ideal candidate for the job," says Doyle.
4
They hired from within
It's possible that businesses cast a wide net in their search for applicants only to promote someone who already works there. “There could have been a candidate who was referred and strongly recommended by a current employee. The company could have hired internally," says Doyle. It makes sense for companies to hire from their employee pool since salary increase and training will cost them a whole lot less.
5
You weren't honest
Hiring managers have experience dealing with people aren't telling the whole truth. They can read your body language, your sentence patterns and based on their insight assume you aren't being entirely honest. “I always knew when candidates didn't have experience because they didn't directly answer a question about it. They talked loquaciously around the answer and gave a really verbose response compared to all of their other responses instead of simply saying, “I haven't encountered that program yet, but I'm a quick learner," says Salemi.
6
You came off as dull
Considering people spend upwards of 70% of their time at work it comes as no surprise that hiring managers are looking for professionals with a good personality. Someone they can chit chat with, communicate ideas to or kill time with on a business trip. “You may be incredible on paper but in person not be able to make connections with people you're interviewing with, especially after two or more rounds of interviews. Remember, they're people," says Salemi. Understandably, the mix of being professional and showing off your personality can be challenging when you are on a job interview, but you need to it off as much as your skills. Make sure to incorporate a bit of small talk to create a connection. Salemi acknowledges, “Often times when two candidates have nearly identical resumes, the one that gets the job is the person who the hiring managers liked most, and who they could see them fitting in with the group well."
If you didn't get the job don't let it discourage you from your job search. The best thing you can do is use it as practice. Do your best to course correct for future positions. Stay upbeat, create a connection and as hard as it might be, do not take it personally.
WRITTEN BY
Jill Jacinto