Why you didn’t get the job you were perfectly qualified for

Do you know why you didn’t get the job?

Why we didn’t get the job offer

I just talked with a good friend who recently went on five interviews. This was five different jobs with five different companies.  In each case, she went on multiple interviews and, in the end, didn’t get the job from any of the companies.  In 3 positions, this candidate talked with the recruiter, hiring manager, and hiring team members. 

This is concerning because if you are talking with the hiring manager and the hiring manager asks you to speak with the team, you are definitely on the shortlist.  

We sat down over coffee because she wondered what was wrong with her.  She hadn’t had this problem in the past. Before this experience, offers came to her quickly.   

This candidate is hireable

After I heard that she had interviewed with several companies and had multiple interviews with each, I started to ask about the specific companies. I had a hunch about what was going on. My hunch was based on her tone as she described each position. I know this woman is hireable.

After going through three companies, I had heard enough and finally just asked the questions none of her friends thought to ask or, I suspect, dared to ask. 

“What inspired you to apply for the positions at these companies?” 

Don’t just apply to any company

I know this candidate and knew she would not be happy or excited about working in these companies. The jobs she was applying for matched the titles she was looking for.  The job descriptions matched what she was looking to do. So what was wrong? Based on what I know about our candidate, the well-known cultures, and the management styles of these companies, it would not be a good fit. 

Our candidate and the companies she applied to work for couldn’t have been further apart than the Earth is from Pluto.

She looked at me quizzically and asked, “What do you mean?”

Would you accept the position if offered?

To which I responded, “I mean, why the frick are you even wasting your time interviewing with these companies? We both know you will not be happy working at these places.  I am confident you wouldn’t accept one of the positions even if it were offered to you.”

She looked at me in a non-committal and sheepish way and explained, “Well, they are great companies, and the jobs sounded interesting.” She knew damn well she was busted. 

Yes, our candidate is perfectly qualified for the positions for which she applied. Yes, she had the experience needed. On paper, her individually tailored resumes were doing their jobs and getting her foot in the front door.  Her Achilles’ heel was that her attitude towards these companies showed up in the interviews. She couldn’t look me in the eye when I asked her if she was excited about any of these positions. Her head looked down at the table between us, and she softly gave me her answer.  “Uhh, no, not really.” She was defeated, not because I had caught her, but because she knew she wouldn’t be happy even if she landed one of these positions. 

And therein lies the rub

She was qualified for the job. Her application indicated interest, but her verbal communication and body language suggested otherwise to the interviewers. “Uhh, yeah, I’m not excited about this place.” And the rest is predictable.  She didn’t get the job.   

I suggested that her body language and lack of enthusiasm were contributing factors to her inability to secure jobs. She couldn’t defend my logic. Deep down, she knew I was right. She knew she wouldn’t hire someone who showed the same lack of enthusiasm. She didn’t get the job because of her lack of interest in the position. The interviewing process for these uninteresting positions slowly sent her into a funk. A funk that she didn’t realize she was falling into, and was killing her confidence level at subsequent interviews. The frog got boiled.

I got skills, I am not THAT candidate

After being rejected for the job five times in a row, despite multiple interviews, she began to question her abilities. We have all heard of candidates who have submitted 100, 200, and 300 resumes and haven’t had any luck. If being declined for five positions can change confidence, what happens when you approach these significantly larger numbers?  

After a few more declines in this vicious cycle, I could see our candidate interviewing for positions for which she would be overqualified. These roles would require less experience and pay less money. All because she didn’t get job offers from the earlier positions.      

My advice was two-fold

1. Look for companies, technologies, or teams you are excited to work with.  If she were genuinely excited about the position, it would be evident in how she carried herself during the interview. Her follow-up effort would reflect the depth of her passion. The team interviewing her would see all this and be excited about working with her.
2. Fake it. Even if you do NOT find the technology, company, or industry fascinating, you need to FAKE IT. Other candidates will be excited about the position, industry, and technology, and their enthusiasm will show through.  If you need the job, your lack of confidence will likely result in your application being declined, regardless of how well your experience matches the requirements. No one wants to work with someone who doesn’t want to be there.

Crash course on faking it 

1. Smile all the time. 
2. When meeting with others, be sure to express your excitement about the position. Say the words, “I am really excited about this opportunity.”
3. Send thank-you emails to everyone you meet. 
4. Ask questions about the position.  If someone isn’t interested in the position, they won’t ask any questions because they don’t care. 
5. Respond to all email correspondence and phone calls promptly.  Don’t let a day or two pass before you respond.

Remember, you can always decline the position.  Just because you interviewed for the job doesn’t mean you have to accept the role. Find out as much as you can about the role so you can make an informed decision and a decision that you can control.  If a company declines you before you can learn the specifics about the role and the manager, you are doing yourself and your career a disservice.  Lack of excitement is the real reason she didn’t get the job.    

See you at the after party,
HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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