Why do I keep getting rejected?

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Finding a job can be frustrating. You've put together your resume and cover letter. You're applying for jobs and even getting some interviews. But the waiting game that follows always ends the same way, rejection. Sometimes things happen that our outside our control. But other times the fault lies with us.

Irrelevant information in your resume or cover letter

Your first stop should be your resume or cover letter, documents that can make or break your chances. Too often people cram these documents full of any piece of information they think will be useful, making them too long in the process. It may seem like a good idea to be this thorough documenting everything you've ever done, but that's not the purpose of a resume or cover letter. Keep it short and relevant. If there's anything you think may be useful but you didn't have enough room, mention it in the interview. Don't require the employer to search through irrelevant information just to get to what's useful. Chances are they won't get to it.

You didn't highlight your achievements

You may be a modest person, but an interview is no time to hold back. It's your time to shine so make the most of it. Experience shows you've done the job before, but achievements show how well you performed in that job. This may have been increasing sales or attracting new customers. So don't hold back, prove what you can do.

Poor communication skills

Communication skills are essential in most jobs. Having all the right skills on paper looks good but if you're the type of person who considers themselves shy, hates social situations, or has difficulty expressing your thoughts; you're going into the interview at a disadvantage. If the employer thinks you're not going to be able to fit in or interact with other employees or customers, this may be why you're being rejected. Try conducting some mock interviews with family or friends. It's a great way to practise for an interview, helping to improve your communication skills and gain confidence in what you're saying.

Inappropriate

Given that it's 2016; it's a good bet that we're all using at least one form of social media. What is your online presence saying about you? With the wealth of information an employer can find about you online it's common they'll look you up. If you haven't cleaned your accounts until they are squeaky clean, or adjusted the privacy settings, there's no way of telling what the employer may have seen. Don't let a photo you forgot about have an impact on your chances of getting the job.

The wrong attitude

You're told to show how eager you are for the job, and how confident you are in your abilities, but it's possible to be eager or too confident. If you're too eager for the job you may be perceived as desperate or come across as annoying. Which begs the question, why do you need this job so bad? Too much confidence can border on arrogance. You don't want it to appear that you think you're too good for the place.

Age

With age comes knowledge and experience but that doesn't seem to be enough now days. Not everyone has enough money to help them through retirements so people are required to work longer than they were before. Age has become a barrier. Whether this is because they think you won't be able to adapt to do the work, wondering what baggage you'll bring from previous jobs, or if it's because they're intimidated by your knowledge and experience and are afraid you'll replace them. Either way it's making it difficult to get a job. Consider your options and decide what's best for you.

Disability

Much like age, disability is a barrier to employment. People fear what they don't understand, and they don't understand disability. As a society we need to work towards educating people so it's not this scary monster hiding in the dark that it seems to be. Until this happens though, show employers that your disability won't be an issue for them by addressing their concerns and putting the focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't.

Someone had connections

You respect and trust the opinions of people you know, so it's easier to hire someone when they've been recommended to you by someone you trust. Do you know someone who got their job because they have a friend or family member that works at the company? I know I do. Sometimes it's not what you now, but who you know that gets you the job. So keep networking and spreading the word that you're looking for employment. You never know who may be able to help you out.

We all make mistakes. When I think back to some of my interviews I cringe at some of the simple mistakes I made that probably took me out of the running. The important thing is do you learn from these mistakes or do you keep making them. If you receive a rejection notice from an employer give some thought to whether or not you were the cause, if so what can you do better next time?

Would you like to comment on this article?

Name:
Location:
Comments:
	Please type the red letters and numbers into the red box above. This is to protect our system from SPAM and viruses.

Previous Comments

There are no comments for this blog post as yet. If you have recently commented then please be patient while your comment is reviewed by our staff.