Reasons Why You Didn't Get Picked for an Interview

Applying for a job can be tiring, stressful and tedious. But it's got to be done if you want that job.

Despite your best efforts if you fail to win an interview it's best to always reflect back and consider what might have happened. There are lots of things that are in your influence that you should pay attention to.

This list is divided into two sections. Areas you have influence over and areas you don't. Use the list to think about what might have been the cause of you failing to get to interview and also what you can do to increase the chance next time.

Areas You Have Influence Over

1. Poor Keyword Match.Your resume didn't do a good enough job of matching you against the needs of the job advert so when their automated system was set to search for possible candidates, you got rejected.
2. Poor Skills Match. You have not clearly indicated how you have applied the desired skills you say you have or your knowledge and skills don't match the capabilities required to excel in the position.
3. Qualification Mismatch.The employer thinks that you are overqualified.
4. Content Shortage.You didn't supply all the information requested or follow directions for the application.
5. No Benefits Revealed. Your resume and cover letter don't reveal your accomplishments and how you have impacted the bottom line with prior employers.
6. Typos. There were grammatical and/or spelling errors in your documents.
7. Resume Not Personalised. Your cover letter was generic and not tailored to the job.
8. Cover Letter Weak. Your cover letter was too brief or weak and you didn't come across as very enthusiastic about applying for the job.
9. Job Hopping. The employer has concerns over the amount of job hopping you have done in the past.
10. Missing Qualification.You are missing a required educational credential or qualification.
11. Too Expensive. Your salary expectations are above what they can pay.
12. Lack Experience. You lack relevant experience within the role and/or industry and do not have any transferable skills.
13. Lacking Interest. You haven't made a strong enough case for your interest in the job.
14. No Connections. You failed to make it clear how the job fits into your career plan.
15. You are a Stranger. You are completely unknown to the employer and you failed to find a way to connect with them outside of the application or use someone inside to vouch for you.
16. Gaps in History. There are unexplained gaps in your employment that haven't been addressed properly.
17. Naughty Online. Your social media footprint damaged your application.
18. Too Late. You missed the deadlines and applied for the job later than other well-qualified candidates.

Areas You Can Not Influence

1. Locals Wanted. The employer prefers local candidates and you live outside of the area.
2. Better Applicants. There are stronger candidates.
3. Internal Candidates. The employer has a preferred internal candidate with a proven track record.
4. Favors Done. The decision makers have been influenced by third parties to take alternative candidates. Nothing wrong with you, but someone else has pulled a favor.
5. No Longer Funds.There has been some delay in funding or job position sign-off by senior management so it's either on hold or slow coming through so applications are suspended for now.
6. Other Priorities. They have other priorities and haven't gotten around to deal with applicants and their resumes.
7. No One Needed. Since placing the job ad business has slowed, and the employer is no longer needing to hire.

Your Resume is Critical

Your resume is a critical tool for promoting you to prospective employers. there's no job without an interview and no interview without a resume. So your first hurdle is getting to interview. If you want to increase your chances of getting invited to interview it's vital that you take your resume seriously and get it working for you.

Take our course on How to Create an Awesome Fashion Job Resume That Gets Interviews and you will significantly increase the chance of getting called to interview. And that's the biggest hurdle over.