This Is Why You Didn’t Get The Job

At the end of the interview process – it’s one person that gets the good news. For the rest of the candidate pool, it’s rejection, and they’re left to wonder “why didn’t I get the job?”
Knowing some commons reasons why interviewers do not choose to move a candidate forward can be a great advantage when prepping for your next interview.
– Fine but not great. Candidates meet the qualifications, but that’s it. The requirements for the position are strong, stellar skills – not mediocre. Mediocre candidates make interviewers wonder why they showed up in the first place. There is no spark or excitement coming across.

– Is good at X, but not as strong as we need in Y. This is another common conclusion reached when decision-makers are working to pick a candidate. Perhaps the candidate stated having both communication and writing skills but when the face-to-face interview was conducted, it was agreed that the candidate’s communications skills were not strong enough to work with a certain client.  It’s important when responding to behavioral questions that you include examples of how you performed the task in your current or past role.

– Interviewers having difficulty getting a read on a required trait or skill. Often, the candidate is unaware the interviewers are asking probing questions trying to extract the information they are seeking.  If you hear the same question repeated twice but perhaps in a different format, chances are your interviewer is prompting you to give more specific information.

– Too wordy. This faux pas can be avoided if the candidate can tune into the interviewer’s body language. Usually, their face or body language will give you clues if you are going on too long. Your interviewer may avert eye contact, may look not as engaged as when the interview first started or may even glance at a clock or watch. These are clues to wrap it up. Respond with a concise answer that directly addresses the question and gives good detail and then stop.  Don’t feel like you need to wrap it up perfectly or include every detail. If the interviewer wants or needs more information, they will ask.  Unnecessary information that isn’t relevant to what was asked, turns the interviewer off. Doing so exhibits a lack of self-awareness and communication skills.

– Concern about interpersonal skills. These could include comments like “she wasn’t very friendly and didn’t put forth any effort to connect” or “this person acted aloof “.  Aside from skills to do the job, interviewers want to hire people who will be pleasant to work with and won’t alienate their co-workers. In other words, if you are a friendly person outside of the interview, be that same genuine, authentic person in your interview.