5 Reasons You Weren't Shortlisted for that Interview

Tell me again, why you think I should hire you?

As a career coach, I constantly come across unemployed and underemployed individuals who feel shortchanged by a rigged recruitment process that prevents them from landing their dream jobs.

While it might be difficult to pinpoint the exact reason you are not getting shortlisted for job interviews, here are five common reasons that may be preventing you from getting a callback:

1. You are still filling online job application forms
If you are still applying for jobs via this medium and expecting a callback, you are wasting your time. Stop it, it was designed to make you and a thousand other job seekers vying for the same position fail. I have never met anyone that got a job via filling an online job application but have met many who haven't.

2. Your Resume/CV doesn't showcase your value to the company
Stop applying for job positions using the same generic resume. Each position is different and dynamic, why would you send the same resume for multiple positions?  An average job opening attracts 250 applications, make your resume stand out by showcasing your unique talents and how they would add value to the company.

3. You are either overqualified or underqualified for the position
There's a reason why a hiring manager would take the pain to write a detailed job description, it is to limit the number of unqualified candidates from applying. Yet you knowing throw in your application anyway to see 'if something comes up'. Even if by a miracle your application gets picked and you are invited for the interview, if you are not the right fit for the position, you would not get hired. So why would you want to waste your time and resources attending an interview that you know you would not be successful in?

4. You are not being proactive
Are you still looking for job openings via online job boards or worse still, the careers section of a company's website? Your chances of getting a job via these means are next to nothing. Instead of waiting for your dream job to be listed on the job boards you frequently visit, develop yourself and acquiring the necessary skills needed to thrive in said career and using your network to find gain insights into the hidden job market.

5. It's not you, it's them
Maybe you did everything right as highlighted in steps 1 to 4 and still did not get shortlisted, sometimes a company will opt not to fill the open position or may decide to hire an internal candidate for the position, in such instances, there was really nothing you could have done differently.

You can increase your chances of being shortlisted by following these tips or  changing your job application strategy email me for insights on getting the best out of your career.