(+ 3 ways to improve for tomorrow)
By Bogdan Zlatkov, Founder, GrowthHackYourCareer.com
Almost every month I get an email from a job seeker who is distraught about getting passed up for a job. When I ask them what went wrong, 99% of the time they will say, “I’m not sure. I did everything right!”
The simple truth is that interviewing is a two-way street.
You may have done everything right in your interview, but that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get the job. If you’re asking yourself, “why didn’t I get the job?” after your job interview, there can be several factors at play:
3 Reasons why you didn’t get the job that are BEYOND your control
1. They hired internally
Sometimes a hiring manager already has a specific internal person in mind to fill a job opening. If that’s the case, it can be near impossible to beat out an internal candidate.
(Note: they’ll still post the job opening because they’re required to by law)
It’s very difficult to compete with internal candidates mainly because they will be able to hit the ground running immediately. Also, the hiring manager already knows the skills and capabilities of internal candidates, making it easy for them to visualize the impact this person will have in the role.
2. Budget issues caused the job to be cancelled/changed
Budgets aren’t set in stone. When the economy is unstable, budgets and open roles can quickly change. It may be the case that the entire hiring process may have been delayed, frozen, or cancelled while the company figures out its financial situation.
3. Someone else was a better networker
based on how they came into the hiring process. Most recruiters prefer candidates that came in via referrals or word of mouth recommendations. If another candidate has been networking with employees and decision makers from the company, they might get chosen over an outside candidate.
4 Reasons why you didn’t get the job that are WITHIN your control
While it might be frustrating not being chosen for things out of your control, it’s important not to get hung up on them. What you can do is make sure you maximize the things that ARE within your control.
1. Be better prepared for the interview
One reason you might not have gotten the job is because your interview answers:
- Were generic or didn’t show you understand the role
- Failed to explain how your experience is valuable
- Didn’t align with the requirements in the job description
If your interview prep focused mostly on researching the company and the hiring manager, you may have made a super common mistake that many job candidates make.
The :
- The best interview answers use storytelling to give specific examples that demonstrate you have the exact skills the employer is looking for
- Review the job description before the interview. After you review the description, try to think of some interview stories you can share about some of the things in the job description.
2. Practice your interview answers
It’s impossible to predict every question you’ll get asked in a job interview, but there are some classics that you can pretty much guarantee you’ll have to answer. These include:
“Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want to work here?” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Sometimes the reason that you didn’t get the job can simply be because one of these questions catches you off guard. Be sure to prepare your answers to these questions in advance and tailor them to the role and company.
3. Tame your nerves
Perhaps the most common reason highly qualified candidates don’t get the job is because their nerves get the best of them.
Communication is one of the most important skills when it comes to interviewing. If you let your nerves get the better of you, you’re not going to .
Things like using a lot of filler words, lack of eye contact, or rambling answers are signs that your nerves may be getting in your way. The best way to get around this is to practice your answers on your own. You want to get all your nerves out while you’re by yourself so that you feel confident when you’re in the hot seat.
4. Show them you want it
After you’ve done , the final step to acing your interview is showing them that you truly want the job.
Hiring managers want to work with people who are genuinely excited about the opportunity and people who genuinely love what they do. You can be the most qualified, most experienced candidate, but if you don’t come across as someone who really cares about the role, you’re unlikely to get hired.
Be yourself in the interview. Let your personality shine and don’t hold your enthusiasm back. Enthusiasm is contagious and can help get the hiring manager on your side, giving you an advantage over other candidates who lack the same level of interest.
And of course, to show you truly do want the role.
Remember, every interview is a new opportunity. Just because this one got away, doesn’t mean that another isn’t around the corner. Prepare now, so when the next one comes along, you’re ready to ace it!
Bogdan Zlatkov is the Founder of GrowthHackYourCareer.com and has taught thousands of smart job seekers how to optimize their resumes, reach “All-Star” status with their LinkedIn profiles, and how to ace their interviews to land their next job faster. Before starting GHYC, Bogdan was a Content Manager at LinkedIn Learning and the author of, “The Ultimate Guide to Job Hunting,” ranked #1 on Google. To accelerate your next job search, visit