Why you might not get a job even after a great interview?

Published by mpume on October 27, 2020October 27, 2020

Sometimes you walk away from an interview and you think I nailed this one, it’s mine and then you get that dreadful email or phone call that says you were unsuccessful without much explanation or you just never hear anything and you finally conclude that I did not get it.  Is it just me who has experienced this, it is not a great feeling? The thoughts that come up all focus on not being good enough, you questioning yourself on what you are doing wrong and asking yourself what’s wrong with you.

At this point, you totally forget that there is nothing wrong with you, the fact that you were called for an interview was an achievement on its own.  I am not good enough conversations take over in your head where you start doubting the value that you can offer. The one thing you can do in an interview is to showcase your value, through your skills and show off your personality – those are the things you have control over.  There are other things you don’t have control over, and you need to be clear what those things are.

Below are some reasons of not getting the job:

The interview process was just a tick box exercise

This is very controversial, but it happens, where the candidate to be hired has been identified probably internally or externally and the interview process just becomes a tick box exercise just to prove that the process was followed, and interviews did happen.  The sad reality is that you will never know if this was the case and it is an unfair process that wastes people’s times, but it happens.

You are not a culture fit

This is very important for most organisations, they want a candidate that fits the organisation, the team, their stakeholders etc.  The interviewers have to get a sense of who you are as a person and assess whether your values align with values of the company. So it’s not just about showcasing your technical skills, you might be excellent technically but if the interviewers cannot picture you fitting in with the rest of team and they can see some challenges with how you integrate into the business then you will not get the role.

You did not show your value

In an interview you need your cv to come alive, it can’t be just about what you can do well and you regurgitating your cv line by line. How are you showcasing what you have done before in a tangible manner? Being clear on what you can do for the organisation is what sells you, being able to demonstrate what you have been able to do for other organisations is important and why you are the best thing since slice bread.  Own your value and be proud of your achievements.

You came across unsure

This element is critical mainly when you are changing careers, you need to demonstrate clearly how you will use your skills and experience e.g. if you are moving from finance to marketing – be confident which skills you are bringing that will be beneficial in the marketing role, be confident and trust yourself that you will be able to do the new role.  The fact that you were able to get an interview means they believed that you can do it, but you must sell yourself and the value you bring.

No matter how disappointed you can be feeling, you can never give up, pick yourself up and hope is not lost, find a way to improve and put yourself out there, you will end up finding the job you want and love. Where possible during your interview request that you get in touch with the hiring manager to get feedback in case you are not chosen for the role. 

For daily conversations follow me on Instagram and Facebook – @changeconversationswithmpume