It’s Not You, It’s Me! 6 Reasons You’re Not Getting Hired

After pulling out all the stops to get your degree, it can be disheartening when you realize it doesn’t seem to be helping you get a job. You’ve sent out application after application, and still you end up rejected. You think you’re qualified, and you know you fit all the requirements. But for some reason, you just have no luck with the job hiring process.

Worry not, because you aren’t alone! As a fresh graduate, you may be committing the same mistakes as other aspiring candidates. Here is a list of common problems that prevent job applicants from getting hired, and some tips on how to correct them.

1. Your resume lacks value
If you’re not landing interviews, the problem might be lying on your resume and curriculum vitae. When you leave a winning first impression with these documents, your chances of getting hired go up. Do not just email the same resume to every company you’re applying for. If your resume is too generic, companies will fail to see how you will specifically add value to their team.

According to Harvard Business Review, the first 15 to 20 words in your resume will determine if the hiring managers will give it their full attention. Keep your resume short and sweet. Be selective with your skills, achievements, and experiences. Only add information that is relevant. Finally, alter the tone of your resume to the culture of the company you’re applying for.

2. Your demands are too high
Know your worth, but avoid coming off as entitled. Familiarize yourself with the general starting salary of your chosen career area to help manage your expectations. Also, be reasonable with your requests for both benefits and pay. Weigh your requests””is the quality of your work actually worth the pay you are demanding?

Finally, be flexible with your interviewer. Your attitude plays a very important role in job hiring, so negotiate your demands with tact. If the interviewer detects that you are too adamant, s/he may reject you altogether. No one wants to work with someone who cannot adjust to the needs of the company.

3. You lack interview skills
You have all the skills they’re looking for. You’re experienced, and you have had your fair share of success in the workplace. You make sure to apply for the right positions and study the job description well enough. Still, you never get hired. Chances are, you already know why””you are just not the best interviewee. This is your main problem. You stammer, ask the wrong questions, and sweat like a pig. Even when you know you are highly qualified for the job, you shrink into a kindergartener when facing the hiring manager.

Now, what do you do? You face your weaknesses so you can improve. Research about the company you are applying for so that you can formulate questions in your head. Look into common job interview questions and practice answering them. Exercise giving concrete examples when you are asked situational questions. All these practices will help develop your interview skills. Prepare early for the interview and before you know it, you’re no longer unemployed!

4. You look too desperate
Graduation makes the future seem bright and promising… until after a while, you realize that you aren’t making any progress. It has been such a long time, you think, and you’re still a couch potato. Then, the desperation seeps in. You send in application letter after application letter for every job opening you search online.

Finally, a company calls you in. You arrive overly excited. You explain how they are your dream company, and that you are willing to work for whatever position they assign you to. Hold up! Remember: They may say expressing interest is a good thing, but they also say that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Sounding too enthusiastic may make you seem that the company will be doing you a favour by hiring you. The hiring process is a mutual relationship. Tell them how much you want the job””but also show them why they should want you.

5. You haven’t built your network in the industry
So, you think you have done everything right. You were top of your class. You have enough work experience. Still, you’re not getting hired. Why? Here is a quick reality check for you: Connections matter. Referrals go a long way in the process of job hiring. Several jobs do not even advertise their openings anymore, because companies would rather stick to the people in their spheres.

Put yourself out there! Develop a knack for intentional networking; in other words, connect with the right people. Attend events related to your area. Maintain a positive relationship with the people you meet. The more people you know, the more opportunities will come to you.

6. You don’t fit in with the team
As you look back on your job application process, you still can’t analyze what went wrong. You sent in all the requirements. You aced your interview””presenting yourself as self-confident, but not arrogant, and giving all the right answers. It is as if there isn’t any valid reason not to hire you.

But, maybe there is. Maybe the hiring manager saw that you are just not fit for the team. You may be qualified for the job, but you might not be productive in the environment of their office. If so, there is no need for you to feel bad about this. During interviews, you are supposed to be transparent and show your true character to the interviewer. It is during this stage that the hiring manager can give a proper assessment whether you will be maximized as a person in the company. If s/he decides otherwise, it means you’re better off with another team. Most of the mistakes job candidates is related to applying to the wrong jobs. The solution to this is simple: Try looking up for more job openings online. The JobStreet database is a goldmine for job hunters. It has an overview of everything you need to know about a company””including employee reviews, dress codes, and corporate values””so that you can assess if you can work with the company you’re applying for.

Again, job applications are a two-way street. Look for a company you will grow in and that will grow through you. Good luck!

About JobStreet.com

JobStreet.com is a leading online job board presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. JobStreet.com currently services over 230,000 corporate hirers and over 15 million jobseekers in its database.

About SEEK Asia

JobStreet.com and jobsDB are part of SEEK Asia, which is the leading online employment market place in Asia. SEEK Asia covers 7 countries namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

SEEK Asia is the extension of the Australian Securities Exchange listed company called SEEK. The company’s purpose is to help improve people’s lives through a better career. SEEK Asia’s database consist of over 500,000 corporate hirers and over 24 million candidates.

For more information about this article, or to schedule an interview with JobStreet.com Philippines, please call Paola Savillo, Marketing Supervisor, at 286-6222.