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Didn’t Land the Job? How to Move On & 10 Reasons Why It Didn’t Work Out

Didn’t Land the Job? How to Move On & 10 Reasons Why It Didn’t Work Out

June 15, 2022

It’s tough when you put so much time and effort into applying for a job, and then don’t get the callback. You might feel like you did everything wrong, or that there’s something wrong with you. But more often than not, there are other factors at play. It’s important not to let a single setback derail your job search.

You need to learn how to move on quickly after a rejection so that you don’t take that same negative energy into your next interview. And understanding why you didn’t get the role may help you to achieve this. In this guide, we’ll explore how to easily move on after an interview rejection and what factors may have played a part in not securing the job.

How to move on after an interview

Getting rejected for a job is difficult. You might feel like you’re not good enough or that you did something wrong. But it’s important to remember that a rejection is not a reflection of your worth as a person. It’s also crucial to understand that there are many reasons why you might not have landed the role, and most of them have nothing to do with you.

If you’ve had your heart set on a role, it can be difficult to walk away, particularly if you feel like you’ve found the perfect job. The first thing to remember is that no job is perfect.

There will always be things you don’t like about it, so don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that you’re really missing out. There are plenty of other jobs out there, and you simply need to set your sights on the next opportunity.

To help you move on and accept the decision, you should take some time to think about what you didn’t like about the job. Perhaps the commute is a little bit longer than you would prefer, the office was a little outdated, or the team was a little older than your age range.

These are all factors that would have made a seemingly perfect role not so perfect after a while. Try to focus on the negatives and start thinking about what you want from your next role.

And finally, it’s important to get feedback after your interview. It can be scary asking for feedback from the interview panel or your recruiter, but it’s vital for your progress. Only by asking for feedback will you be able to understand how you can improve in future.

Sometimes, you’ll learn that the only reason you didn’t get the job is that someone was slightly more qualified than you. This can be a hard pill to swallow, but it does help to make the rejection easier.

Didn't Land the Job? How to Move On & 10 Reasons Why It Didn't Work Out CMD Recruitment

Top 10 reasons candidates don’t get the job

Now you know how to move on, you can start thinking about why you didn’t get the job and what you can do to improve in your next interview. Here are 10 of the most common reasons that candidates fail to convince hiring managers to give them a chance.

1) You didn’t do your research

One of the most common reasons for rejection is that candidates simply haven’t done their research. If you don’t know anything about the company or the role, it’s going to be very difficult to convince the interviewer that you’re the right person for the job.

Make sure you spend some time researching the company ahead of the interview so that you can show that you want to be employed by this specific company, not just any company. You can look at their website, recent news articles and social media channels to get a better idea of what they are all about.

Another mistake that candidates make is not knowing which companies they are competing with. This shows a lack of commercial awareness and engagement with the sector. Make sure you research the competition as well so that you can show why you are the best candidate for the job.

2) You’re simply not a good fit

Qualifications and experience are important, but they’re not everything. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who will be a good cultural fit for their company. This means that you need to fit in with the team. If they are hiring for a tight-knit team, you can expect them to look for someone that will work well with the current dynamic.

It might feel unfair to be rejected based on this, but it is the reality for many job roles. There is nothing that you can do to change this, so it’s important to focus on the roles where you are a better fit. If you did land the role – despite not being the ideal fit – you might find that you are looking for a new role in a few months because you are unhappy.

Remember that an interview is a two-way conversation. You are trying to convince them that you have the skills required for the role, but they are also trying to convince you that this is the right step in your career. When you go into your next interview, make sure you’re prepared with lots of questions to find out if this is the right role for you.

3) Your CV isn’t up to scratch

Your CV is your first opportunity to impress a hiring manager, so it needs to be in good shape. If your CV is poorly written or full of typos, you will struggle to show that you have good attention to detail. Your CV could be incredibly impressive, but if you haven’t taken the time to proofread and make sure everything is up to date, you’ll struggle to convince anyone to take a chance on you.

Before you start applying for roles again, ask a friend, family member or trusted colleague to look over your CV and look for any obvious errors. You can also ask them to identify ways in which you might be underselling your skills. It can be difficult to write about ourselves, so asking for a second opinion can be invaluable to the process.

4) You don’t have enough experience

This is a common reason for rejection, especially if you’re applying for jobs that are above your current level. It can be very frustrating to be rejected because of a lack of experience, but it is something that you can work on. Enthusiasm will only get you so far, sometimes, you simply need to demonstrate that you have enough experience to be able to hit the ground running.

If you’re struggling to get interviewers to take a chance on you, consider volunteering in a similar sector or completing an internship to gain some relevant experience. You should also keep in touch with the hiring manager so you can keep them in the loop as your experience grows. This is an excellent way to keep a foot in the door so you’ll be at the top of the list when another opportunity crops up.

5) Your interview technique needs work

Your interview is your chance to shine and demonstrate that you have the skills and qualities that the company is looking for. If you’re not selling yourself properly, it’s unlikely that you’ll be successful.

There are a few key things that you need to remember in order to succeed in an interview setting. You need to project confidence, be succinct with your answers, and always give the right amount of detail in your answers. If they ask for specifics, give them specifics. And if you don’t know the answer to a question, simply say you don’t know rather than trying to lie your way through the answers.

6) You’re overqualified

In some cases, being overqualified can actually work against you. If a company is looking for someone to fill a junior role and you have years of experience, they might think that you’ll get bored quickly and move on as soon as something better comes along. They might also want someone with less experience so they can train them to do things in a particular way.

It’s important to show the interviewer how this role fits into your career plans. If you would be taking a step back in your career, explain to them why you are doing this and how the role would help you to fulfil your goals. For example, you might take a more junior role if you are thinking about retraining in a different sector.

7) Your references were negative

This happens rarely, but it can happen. If you left your previous role on bad terms, your previous employer may have given a bad reference or refused to give a reference. And if your employer didn’t know you were looking for a new role, you may have caught them off-guard and caused them to react negatively to the news. Most hiring managers usually leave this step to the end of the hiring process, but some like to get it out of the way.

Before you start your job search, either let your previous employer know that you’re looking for new roles or ask the hiring manager to give you some notice before they reach out for a reference. And if you suspect you’ll get a negative reference, be honest about this in the interview. This will give you a chance to share your side of the story, which might take the sting out of whatever your previous employer says about you.

8) You were asking for too much money

It’s not always about the money, but let’s be honest, it is a big factor. If you went in too high, they might not be willing to negotiate. This is one of the reasons that working with a specialist recruiter can help. You’ll be able to take a step back from the salary negotiations and leave it to the industry experts.

We all like to think we’re worth the highest salary possible, but if you want the job, you might have to be willing to compromise. You may also need to factor in non-salary perks such as health insurance, holiday allowance and bonus schemes. These can all inflate your

9) You had the wrong skillset

Even if you’re the perfect fit for the company culture, if you don’t have the right skills, they’re not going to hire you. There’s no point in trying to hide your lack of experience or lie about your skillset on your resume. This will only come back to bite you when you’re in the interview. Be honest about your level of experience and what you can and can’t do. If you try to lie in an interview, this can only end badly if you do get the job and then have to reveal that you don’t have the skills you said you had.

If you don’t have the required skills, see if there’s a way to upskill yourself so that you’re a better fit for the role. You could undergo additional training, shadow someone in your current role or volunteer to help build your skills. There is always a solution that doesn’t involve stretching the truth.

10) They found someone internally

This can be the most frustrating reason for being rejected. You may have been the perfect candidate, but if they had someone internally who was also a good fit for the job, they’re going to give them the role. It’s not personal, it’s just business. If this happens, make sure you let the hiring manager know you would be interested in future opportunities. Since they have already gone through the interview process with you, they might be willing to offer you a job in the future without such an extensive interview process.

If you find out that you didn’t get the job because they promoted someone internally, try to take it on the chin and move on. It’s not worth getting upset over something that you can’t control. And remember, there are other opportunities out there.

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