At The Galatas Group, part of our business is to run career clubs through our Revved Up for Hire program and one of the questions we hear over and over again is “Why didn’t I get an interview?”
Not having been part of someone’s job seeking process makes it difficult to fully understand why, qualified candidates with a documented history of accomplishments, wouldn’tget an interview. Many of the potential reasons become clear as the club progresses through conversations, interactions, participation in program workshops, and exploratory activities. I hate to repeat myself but I do repeat the importance of quality versus quantity throughout the entire program. Why? Well, because it is quality or lack thereof that results in not landing the job, not getting an interview and even not surfacing as a top candidate.
In many cases, the answer to the “why didn’t I get an interview” question comes to a surprise to so many job seekers as many are oblivious of the blunders they commit. A large majority of potential candidates diminish and even ruin their chances of being noticed or called in for an interview.
Increase your chances of getting an interview! When sending your resume, in response to a job posting, make sure to first FOLLOW the instructions on the posting, as this may be your first assessment. Then, make sure NOT to:
1. Send in an incomplete application
2. Submit a resume or application full of grammatical, spelling and typographical errors (remember that you cannot spell check an online application so make sure it is thoroughly reviewed prior to sending)
3. Send in a resume or application full of fabrications or lies – these will come to light in a background check or even during the interview process
4. Send in an application that is inconsistent with the resume
5. Send in a cover letter with a “To whom it may concern” instead of an actual hiring manager or recruiter’s name
6. Send in a cover letter that repeats exactly what is on the resume
As a job seeker, if you have conducted your job search using a getting an interviewstrategy that focuses on quality or if you just happen to get lucky, make sure not to commit blunders that will prevent you from scoring high on the interview and landing the job.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal discussed eight blunders made by job seekers during an interview. The list included:
1. Entitlement syndrome – asking for things such as free lunch at the conclusion of the interview
2. Behaving rudely – examples including bringing a child to the interview or opening a sandwich during the interview
3. Acting arrogantly – accepting a call during the interview
4. Lies, lies, lies – a candidate falsely claimed a referral from a company employee
5. Dressing down – wearing jeans or attire that doesn’t fit to an interview
6. Over sharing – sharing personal information
7. Saying thanks with gifts – sending gifts instead of a simple note to thank the interviewer(s)
8. Sporting a mom-and-dad complex – having mom or dad contact the interviewer
Let me ask you. Is your job search efforts focused on quality or quantity? Yes, there I go again. I repeat this, again, because most people send hundreds of resumes, never get an interview or even a call, and then wonder why. If you are a job seeker, take a few minutes to reflect on what job search efforts you have engaged in during the last week. Did you email a few people, scour various job boards, apply to 20 jobs, and research a few companies you would like to target?
That sounds like you may have had a great week however you need to quantify your actions just as you would if you were on unemployment. Be specific. Date everything and write down things like:
1. Which companies did you researched and what were a few interesting highlights?
2. Which companies did you apply to and why?
3. Name of person you spoke to or sent resume to (full name, title and contact information)
4. Status (had an informational interview, inquired about any openings, submitted application, had an interview, etc.)
5. What recruiters, business professional, or colleague did you meet face-to-face?
6. Who did I connect or network with in relations with my job search
7. How many follow up calls did you make to chase up jobs or leads that you have already applied for?
8. How many interviews did you secure this week? With what companies?
9. Who did you send a follow-up email or thank you note to?
Jotting down these things weekly will give you an accurate view of the effectiveness of your job search efforts. Break the cycle and go for quality. Yes, I said it again. Don’t be like many people who think sitting in front of a computer or laptop for 8 hours a day is job searching. Doing so will not help you get an interview or land you a job.
Why Didn’t I Get An Interview? by The Galatas Group
