Why You Aren't Getting Hired-Not Everything is a Conspiracy
Being unemployed is a very difficult spot in which to be.
It creates stress, financial insecurity, and low self-esteem and ultimately depression. These feelings are only exacerbated when your attempts at finding gainful employment are wrought with failure. After a while you start questioning if you are blacklisted or if a reference is reporting negatively to the recruiter/hiring authority.
Logically, the jump to such a conclusion makes perfect sense. You know that you are a hard worker who is well-qualified and would be an asset to the companies to which you apply, and you know that you have integrity and a resounding work ethic. So, obviously, something is working against you. A former boss? Ageism? Racism?
Potentially, but the truth may be more simple and less nefarious and should put you a bit at ease. There are several reasons why you aren't hearing back or getting hired after several interviews:
- HR Applicant Tracking Software Sadly, in this day and age, human eyes seldom take a first pass at submitted resumes. Most larger companies use an applicant tracking solution like PeopleSoft to sort through resumes. If your resume doesn't meet the pre-defined metrics such as job-specific keywords or employment duration, it gets kicked out and you get a form letter thanking you for your interest and your candidacy ends there.
Pro-tip: Have several resumes tailored for the types of jobs you are looking for and submit that specific resume to that specific employer. For example, if you apply for a job for customer service, don't send a resume that heavily features your time as a line cook. Create a specific customer service resume and send that resume to potential employers.
Your Resume is Not Up to Par Nothing will turn a potential employer off more than a poorly drafted resume. Your resume should be clean of spelling/grammatical errors and should be easy to read. Look online for resume templates, there are plenty of professional looking templates out there. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and appropriate. Create a separate email account specifically for job searching. If your email is "Cutiepatootie69@aol.com" or "Youngthug420@gmail.com" I can guarantee your resume will get passed over. Additionally, any "questionable" employment should be reworded or removed from your resume. Yes, you worked at the Brass Pole Gentleman's Club as a stripper for three years, good for you. Sadly, that is seen as unprofessional and will often result in your resume being deposited into the circular file. If you really want to nail a resume, you can ask friends and family to help or you can hire a professional resume writing service to help you out.
You Interview Poorly You would be surprised at how many people have no idea how to interview. Showing up late is inexcusable. Even if it is "not your fault". Always allow yourself PLENTY of time to get to the interview on time, especially if you rely on public transportation. Leave nothing to chance and be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. Show up 15 to 30 minutes early in the event you have paperwork to fill out or an assessment to take. Bring physical copies of your resume. Sometimes the interviewer is looking at a copy from a service such as Indeed or Monster, and the formatting is horrible. They may ask you if you have a more legible copy. You want to be able to say yes, or simply offer it without being asked. Also, have a pen on you. You don't want to look ill-prepared should you need to fill something out. The interview is the singular chance for you to stand out, and sadly, this is where most people fail. They provide stock answers to interview questions, thinking it is what the interviewer wants to hear. The truth is, they want you to answer the question in a manner that makes you stand out from every other person interviewing for the job. You may be one of one-hundred applicants the interviewer will meet with about the job. Be personable, your body language should be relaxed and don't be afraid to smile and show that you are likable and not "strictly business". Answer the questions truthfully. Do not "spin" your answers, especially if the question is about negative things such as a weakness. If the interviewer asks you about a weakness give them a real weakness. Saying things like "My weakness is that I care too much" will make you easy to overlook. Conversely, however, don't overshare. Your answers should promote teamwork, dedication to employer, and tenacity. Follow Up. After you get home from your interview, if you have the email address of the person who interviewed you, thank them for the time they took to meet with you, express that you know they are busy and that it was great meeting with them. They may not respond, but they will have read it and a personalized follow-up means a lot.
Your Social Media Life is a Hot Mess If you are applying for work, you better tighten up your online life. While you are out of work, change the names on your social media platforms so that you are not found when the employer searches for you online. Or, make your profiles private. If you have personal websites, make sure there is no questionable content displayed. I know a very socially liberal person who was locked out of several big jobs for which they applied because they ran a blog about militant atheism. One search for their name and the employer decided that someone with those views was not their ideal candidate.
I was looking for work a few years ago when the recruiter told me that she bought a book I wrote. I knew immediately if she read it I was not going to get the job. And that is exactly what happened. The book was a comedy, but very inappropriate humor and she was offended. Case closed, next application please. Be a ghost during times of unemployment. ESPECIALLY ON THIS SITE! A lot of users to this forum are upset and tired and they vent. Sadly, they also use their real names. When they apply through this site or any other site where they vent in open forums, recruiters and hiring authorities can easily see what you say here. If you are hostile/volatile/hateful you may have just become persona non grata.
- One Position, Hundreds of Applicants Most jobs posted online are singular positions. That is one spot with potentially hundreds of people vying for it. The odds are not in your favor at this point and you have to differentiate yourself from the masses to stand out and land that role. You need the required skill sets to even be considered. If the job is outside of your area of expertise, don't even apply. It's one less job you have to stress over when you don't get an offer. Just because a position is listed online, people tend to think there are multiple positions available. That's not always the case. Sometimes it is just that one job and it may already be filled by the time you apply.
Try not to get discouraged during bouts of unemployment. Do not let your frustrations and doubt lead you down the conspiratorial rabbit hole. Chances are no one is blacklisting you or refusing your employment based on race, age, sexuality, etc. YES, it does happen. It is disgusting that it does in this day and age, but you have to accept that there may be a more logical explanation as to why you aren't getting hired before you can jump to discrimination.
Be the best you possible and wow the interviewers with knowledge, personality, and courtesy. Good luck job-seekers!
It's convenient to blame the software. Yet corporations continue to use them despite them weeding out well qualified candidates. You can excuse AI for not having common sense, but when it's apparently abundant among management, what gives? When one can't get even an initial interview for an entry level job at a convenience store 5 minutes, (despite having tried three times and actually received discouragement from the manager about calling to request interview) perhaps it's time for HR to actually be HUMAN relations, not software relations. Alternatively, corporations can just continue the treasonous assault on the American people, like they've done with the shipping of jobs overseas. Sure, that's not a conspiracy either. But it IS greed too. When the government increases the taxes on corporations to pay for social welfare programs to support the 20% of people out of work, they'll hopefully remember that wealth doesn't necessarily insulate one from the collateral damage of having erroneous policies and practices that erodes lives. Sure companies can tell me I don't have a right to work. They can't tell me I don't have the right to survive though.
I agree I custom make resumes for each client and so a few people have had interviews and been hired!
Hey Anthony,
You touched on every major focus keypoint involved in the hiring process. Thanks so much for sharing these strategies with the community. I think one of the biggest obstacles job seekers face today learning how to structure a resume for a better candidate rating on the Applicant Tracking System, ATS. I’ve reviewed resumes that show a vast amount of education, experience, and skills but when compared to the job descriptions they fall short of the necessary key-Word and key-Phrase matches needed to actually qualify for the job under the new candidate rating system. A common question job seekers raise is “I have a proven record of multiple years of work related experience so why am I not getting called?” Customizing resumes for each job is an excellent suggestion.
Anthony, this is a fantastic post! It's so hard not to take rejections personally but you're so right, there are many many factors that play into why you might not even hear back from an application. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Oh and prospective employers snooping around people's social media says more unsavory things about them!