6 More Reasons You Are Not Getting the Job

Still spinning the wheels on your job search?

A successful job search is about covering all the tiny details: fine tuning a resume, knowing the right answers to interview questions, finding the right networking connections. So if you’re stuck in your search, it is difficult to know exactly what is going wrong.

Earlier this year we published the 10 Reasons You are Not Getting the Job, which offers the most common reasons you haven’t landed the next position. Here are 6 more reasons you are not getting the job.

1. You Aren’t Showcasing Your Brand – The second thing a hiring manager will do after reading your resume will be to look you up on LinkedIn. What will they see when they get there? Build out your profile so that it clearly demonstrates your brand and your value. Use these tips to develop a robust LinkedIn Profile.
2. You Don’t Self-Promote – Yes, it doesn’t feel natural. And yes, you need to do it. When networking, you will need to communicate your knowledge, accomplishments, skills, in an appropriate way. Watch our online class to learn how.
3. You Aren’t Following Up (the right way) –  Sending in your resume to an opening is only the first step. If you aren’t actively following up with your network to help get your foot in the door, you aren’t making the most of your application.
4. You Don’t Answer Interview Questions as a Solution to a Problem – Most interview questions are variations of the same 3 or 4 questions: What kind of professional are you? Have you done this in the past? How will you help us moving forward? How much research have you done on us (prove you’re really interested in this role)? Every time you answer an interview question, you are likely answering one of the above questions. Be prepared to frame your answers to these questions as a solution to their problems. Even a simple question such as: “How do you plan your week” can be an indication that the person you are replacing had a problem with planning. Be the solution!
5. You Haven’t Researched the Company – Following up on the last point, you better have done your research before the interview! You need to know about the latest news for the company and industry and how that plays into the role you are interviewing for. You should also know details about key personnel at the company (don’t get caught not knowing the name of the CEO!).  Furthermore, you need to know about their competitors and the industry as a whole.
6. You’re Punching Above Your Weight – You should apply to a job that will be a challenge for you. There should be aspects of it that you will need to learn and master to really excel. But you shouldn’t apply to a job because you want a fancy, loftier job title. And if you are trying to make a career transition but don’t have the experience in the new field, you better be prepared to explain how and why the transition would work either in your cover letter, or in the way you write your resume. Not sure what is out of reach vs. a good challenge? Learn the 70% rule for applying to jobs.

For even more tips – attend our upcoming online class to ramp up your job search for the end of the year.