When I have my first conversation with a new client, I ask them why they think that their interviews are not leading to job offers. Many clients really don’t have an answer to this question, however – they feel that their resumes are the perfect fit for the position, and they are really confused as to why no company is extending an offer to them. To make matters even more frustrating, it is very rare that a company gives honest feedback on why you were not selected, because they are protecting themselves from potential lawsuits.
So how are you supposed to know why your interviews are going nowhere?
You could ask a friend or a past colleague to do a mock interview with you, but are they really going to be transparent about your flaws, or do they have the expertise to even understand what is needed or expected in your industry to really elevate your interview performance? Have your friends interviewed thousands of candidates and been a part of making job offers to hundreds of candidates? Probably not. It’s likely that unless you work with an expert, you will continue to be in the dark as to why you are getting passed over for job offers.
Having interviewed over 10,000 candidates, I am an expert in this arena, and I have been involved in making hiring decisions with hiring managers for over 14 years as a senior-level San Francisco Bay Area recruiter. I’ve worked in Fortune 500 companies, along with innovative tech startups. Over the course of the past four years, I’ve helped hundreds of clients get unstuck with job interview rejections and land job offers faster.
Here are seven mistakes that candidates are making right now that are keeping them from getting job offers.
1. You are not prepared for the initial phone interview with the recruiter, make a poor impression, and get rejected.
The interview with the recruiter is critical, as this is when they make the decision about whether to pass you on to the hiring manager. You must be fully prepared to articulate why you are a strong candidate and why you want to work for that company. You must convey enthusiasm and be well spoken, or you’ll be rejected and won’t move forward in the interview process.
2. You are difficult to work with as a candidate.
You don’t respond immediately to a recruiter’s request for your schedule or additional information. You keep rescheduling your appointments and/or you get impatient when you have to wait for next steps. Keep in mind that recruiters have huge workloads – they can’t be bothered with overly pushy, high-maintenance candidates, and they may let the hiring manager know how difficult you are to work with.
3. You made a poor impression over a video interview because you had technical difficulties, were late, lacked a professional appearance, or your video setup had poor lighting, poor audio, or an unprofessional virtual background.
When you have an interview scheduled by video, you must make sure that your technical setup is ready and tested before the start of the interview. For video interviews, you must dress the same way you would for an important in-person interview. Make sure you have a tidy background for video interviews, and avoid virtual backgrounds if at all possible. This is no time to be casual, unprofessional, or unprepared. That beach scene virtual background may be cool for your family Zoom call, but they are inappropriate for any interview. When you work with me, I make sure that your video setup enhances your brand and provide you with the feedback you need to make the best impression possible.
4. You don’t understand the value you bring to the job. You haven’t properly prepared for the interview, and you think that your resume is all you need to demonstrate your accomplishments. You lack “success story” preparation that enables you to clearly demonstrate how you’ve made a difference in your previous positions and how you’ve gotten results in the past.
It is your responsibility to fully articulate the value you would bring to the position. This is done by understanding how your past successes and skills would enable you to make a contribution to the company, and it should be specific to each company for which you interview. Your preparation for each interview should enable you to powerfully state your value proposition and why you are a strong candidate. By the end of your interview, there should be no doubt that you are the candidate whom they should hire. In our mock interview sessions, I teach you how to do this.
5. You are not aware that you are making a weak or unfavorable impression in your interviews.
I give my candidates honest feedback on the impression they are making, and I help them to craft a strong one. If you feel insecure about what you have to offer a company, or, conversely, if you don’t think you need to sell yourself in an interview because you know that you are great, neither strategy will lead to an offer. I coach you on how to not take any “baggage” into your interview.
6. You don’t follow up your interview with a thank you email.
Did you know that in the current job market, if you don’t send a thank you email that reinforces why that company should hire you, you will probably get passed over? Think about it – if you were the hiring manager and you interviewed a number of candidates, wouldn’t you be more impressed by someone who showed their enthusiasm by following up promptly with a thank you email? Trust me, follow-up emails make a difference! I teach my clients how they can write a great one.
7. You don’t confidently articulate why you are the candidate they should hire, and you didn’t tell them that you want the job.
Many candidates don’t think they need to tell the company for which they are interviewing that they want the job! Instead, they assume that the company already knows. Newsflash here: If you don’t tell them, you will get passed on by.
Get an advantage over your competition
I will help you to become the candidate that gets the job offer. Many of my clients find that, shortly after working with me, they receive multiple offers – their biggest problem then becomes deciding which one to take!
Sign up for a free intro session at a time that works for you so that I can find out more about your situation and tell you more about my services.
What would it be worth to you if you got a job faster?