Job Hunting Challenges: Understanding Why You Didn’t Get the Job When the Interview Was a Success
Whether you’re hoping to progress your career and move into a more senior role, you’re just starting out on your career journey and you’re looking for your first job, or you’ve been laid off and need a job fast, there are many reasons why people find themselves stuck in the recruitment process.
In theory, the recruitment process should be easy. You simply apply for roles that match your skills, perform well at the interview, and are then offered the job. In reality, getting hired is rarely this simple. Looking for a job can become a hugely frustrating task, especially if you get to the interview stage and everything seems to be going well. Finding out that you didn’t get the job when you have invested so much effort and hope in being hired can be upsetting. It’s only natural to take the rejection personally, but in many cases this just isn’t the reality of the situation. There are many different reasons that you may find that an interview goes well, but you don’t get hired. Keep reading as we assess some of the main reasons you may not have been the successful candidate.
Level of Competing Candidates
There are lots of things you can control when you’re applying for jobs and going through the interview process. Ensuring that you have your resumé looking sharp and up to date is one of these things. Carrying out plenty of research on the company so that you fully understand what it does and the culture within the organization is another. However, one thing that you certainly cannot control is the level of the competing candidates also vying for the role.
The problem is, you won’t know who you’re up against before you attend the interview. This can make it really challenging, and can be a source of nerves when you’re preparing to meet your potential employers. However, there’s no shame at all in missing out on a role just because another candidate has more experience or a higher level of qualifications. In fact, if you were applying for your dream job, understanding the qualifications and experience the successful candidate has can help you to work on boosting your own skillset to make you a more attractive candidate in the future.
Failing Background Checks
If you have been through an interview that went well and agreed to the company taking things to the next stage and carrying out background checks on you, it can feel like you’ve made it through and are sure to be offered the role.
Companies carry out background checks for many reasons, usually these are to check that you don’t have a criminal record, are who you say you are, and don’t have convictions for offenses that could impact your ability to work for the company. For example, if you had a fraud conviction or theft conviction, this would make employers reluctant to trust you.
If you are rejected from a job based on your background check this can be hugely disappointing. More importantly, you may be questioning why you failed and missed out on the job in the first place. The good news is that if you think that a background check may have delivered false results and caused you to miss out on a job offer, you can take action to rectify this. Large organizations such as Walmart will use external companies to carry out all their pre-employment screening and background checks. This can mean that errors occur that aren’t a direct result of the hiring company, i.e. Walmart. When someone gets denied a Walmart job due to errors in their Walmart background check, reaching out to an experienced consumer protection attorney can fast-track their recovery. With advice from an attorney, it can be easier to overcome the unfairness of the situation and then move forward with your career having put the false background check behind you.
Differing Goals
During the interview, you will likely have been asked about how you visualize your future career, your aspirations, and goals for the coming years. You may have spoken in detail about your hopes to progress through the ranks quickly and grab any promotion opportunity that comes your way. Or, you may have simply said that you will be happy to plod along in the role and keep working as-is until you retire. There aren’t necessarily any wrong answers to this kind of interview question. After all, you’re simply being honest about how you see your career moving forward.
While you may have been candid about your future career plans, it’s important to note that this may not align with what the business is looking for. Unfortunately, you may not be aware of this ahead of attending the interview. If you’re super ambitious, yet the company knows that they have very few chances for you to progress your career with them, they may choose an alternative candidate with less promotion aspirations. Likewise, if you’re not motivated to move forward in your career, but the company wants someone with lots of drive, who can work their way up to the top, they may decide that you’re not the right fit.
Having career goals that don’t match the recruiter’s preferences doesn’t mean that you were a bad candidate, it simply means that you weren’t the right person for their long-term strategy.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that not making it beyond the interview stage can be incredibly disappointing when the interview seemed to go so well. However, it’s important to look beyond the initial disappointment and try to make something positive come out of the experience.
If you missed out on the role because of an error, such as a false background check, seeking legal advice can help you to resolve this and move forward. If interview feedback is available, be sure to take it and work with it.
Don’t forget, every job you apply for and don’t get will bring you a step closer to finding your perfect new role.
