Didn’t get the job offer you wanted? Got the bad interview blues? Does “I got rejected AGAIN” feel like your new mantra? I know it doesn’t help all that much, but please know that even seemingly “perfect” candidates experience those feelings.
With all my heart, I wish that you would get the offer you want every time you interview. And then YOU can be the one who gets to decide whether to accept the job or not. But sometimes you just don’t get the offer — even if you’re totally qualified.
Wondering why you didn’t get the job offer?
Maybe you got a polite turn down. Or an impersonal rejection letter. Or worse yet, you hear nothing back from them. Waiting. Waiting some more. In deep silence. No phone call. No email. Not even a rejection letter. No response at all. Crickets chirping. Grrrr.
And you can’t help wondering “Why don’t they like me? What did I do wrong in my interview? Why didn’t I get an offer even after a really good interview?” And it hurts. You feel utterly frustrated by the whole hiring process!
OK. Maybe it’s as simple as you just didn’t have the right skills. Or someone else fit the job so exactly that even a wonderful candidate like you has to be turned down. Or someone’s nephew got the job.
But apart from reasons you can’t control, what else might have gotten in the way of a job offer? Or even a second interview? Hopefully these possible reasons you didn’t get the job offer can help you with your NEXT interview. You only need ONE yes!
Things that can turn an interview cold
- Low energy.
- Vague answers.
- Way too talkative or way too quiet.
- Not listening well, and instead answering with whatever you feel like saying.
- Not offering strong examples of things you’ve done well.
- Arriving late.
- Dressing inappropriately.
- Acting unprofessionally and / or overly friendly.
- Poor eye contact or body language (too stiff, too shlumpy).
- You act the way you think they’d want you to and aren’t being yourself.
Any of this sound familiar? Good news is you can work on any or all of these things. And you can come to the next interview prepared with your best interview posture, good eye contact, fully-engaged energy, great stories about things you’ve made happen, etc.
Of course, there’s also the possibility it wasn’t a bad interview after all. Maybe they simply hired someone else from the company they already knew. And the posting was just protocol. Or there just wasn’t any chemistry. This happens even to truly wonderful candidates.
Job interviews really are about finding the right match. It’s a lot like blind dates. If there’s no chemistry, there’s almost nothing you can do to make it work. You just need to put this behind you and move on. The right match is out there!
An interview is never over until it’s over
One note: Even if you get the feeling the interview is going south or was never a real interview to begin with, you still want to give your strongest, most naturally likable interview no matter what. Don’t decide to reject them before they reject you.
Also remember to send a polite thank you note. And stay in touch if you really like the place. Regardless of how it went and what happened — even if you didn’t get the job offer. Why? Because there may be someone you meet during the process who remembers you for another time.
In fact, I once recommended someone I met the year before who was wrong for that job, but seemed exactly right for the new position they were looking to fill.
So it always pays to turn on your best interview charm until you are out the door. And out of the building. Remember … each person you meet counts. Even impressions made on receptionists and doormen matter!
Whether it’s a job interview or anything else…
All you can do is your best.
If you don’t get the job, it just wasn’t meant to be — at least not this time. Use each rejection as a chance to redouble your determination to get the next one. Or the one after that. Your job is coming.
But … if you aren’t sure you’re interviewing at the top of your game, this is definitely a chance to brush up your resume. This can help open up different types of jobs. Also, work on your interview skills. For interview help, you might find this post helpful:
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
Didn’t get the job offer?
MORE POSTS TO HELP BELOW!
[Post updated 2020]
About the author…
Ronnie Ann, founder of Work To The Wise and Work Coach Cafe, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development and her own adventures as a serial job seeker.
More job interview help
How To Mentally Prepare for a Job Interview
12 Things You Need To Know BEFORE a Job Interview
Job Interview Nerves? Tips for Before, During & After
Job Rejected You? Sample Rejection “Thank You” Note
5 “Secrets” If You’re Worrying About a Job Interview
18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview
How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well
Why Does It Take So Long After Your Interview?
After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?
So What Really Happens After a Job Interview?
⇒ EXTRA: Got an Offer. But It’s Not The Job Offer I Want!
Good afternoon,
I literally apply for hundreds of job adverts each and every week, I live in London UK and most of the jobs are being taken over by polish immigrants, not because the English don’t want the jobs, but because it is much cheaper for companies to employ them over us. It doesn’t give me much great hope for the future here, because how am I supposed to start a family with my partner when I can’t even get past the interview stages. I have had at least 45 interviews so far this year, I even get to the 2nd interview stage. But what I have noticed here in the UK is that the people who are now doing the majority of the interviewing are below the age of 20. So at my interviews I am getting interviewed by people much younger than myself (33) and they clearly have not had the years of experience to even earn them the right to interview people or candidates, because they are looking for young people just like themselves, who can mingle and party at the weekend with them. I have tailored my interviews as perfectly as humanly possible to describe my experience to their specific job requirements, with a confident manner. But still getting nowhere. It doesn’t help that advertisements are given to internal candidates, but if that is the case then why waste genuine peoples time and fares? I have a job interview today at 2:00pm for an administration role. I will be positive, because no two interviews are exactly the same. But it just frustrates me because all I want is to get a job in order for me and my girlfriend to have a normal life ie kids, marriage etc.
Hi Kevin,
Well, I can certainly understand and sympathize with your frustration, and I know you will eventually connect with a good job. But, getting to that point is a struggle.
Without knowing what kind of jobs your are looking for, it’s hard for me to give you specifically relevant advice. But, reading your comment, a couple of things seem to be worthy of consideration:
Find a job search buddy or join a job club. They expand your network, help you learn more about what works and what doesn’t work from people who are out there trying, too.
Focus on the jobs you want that are good fits at employers where you would really like to work. You’ll do a better job of both applying and also preparing for the interviews. Plus, you’ll have time to follow up better, as well.
Spend more time networking, meeting with people who would be your peers or bosses in your target job. The human connection is the reason people hire, and bosses are always worried about making a “bad hire” (someone who doesn’t work out, meaning going through the expensive hiring process again). But, if the boss knows you or if another employee knows you, you are a less risky hire.
Learn as much as you can about the organization and the people interviewing you. Google, Bing, and LinkedIn can be very useful for this. Then you’ll have good questions to ask, and you’ll have a good answer to the “So, what do you know about us?” interview question.
Keep trying!
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
You are doing a great job 🙂
I had 2 interviews last month.
At company 1: The manager said don’t join company#2 and even took me out of lunch to talk about it and asking me not to join company 2. The next day they called me back to talk to the VP (vice president of the company). The VP asked my salary and my joining date etc.
At company 2: I had a bit of an argument with one of the interviewers because I was asking her questions regarding the problem she asked me to solve and she got frustrated. The director came after her and told me not to base my decision on the previous lady. He then took me to the senior VP and told him I brought you a candidate and you know that I don’t bring people whom I am planning to let go. The Senior VP asked me to tell why I should be picked and I spoke. He then said, he is sold. He told me “We’ll do anything to get you here, any job role you want. All that can be taken care of. Here is my business card. Call me if you need anything or before you make any decision.” He also told me don’t join company #1
1 week later: Both companies told me they picked someone else 🙂
Yesterday I had another interview. The interview was supposed to be one hour but it went on for two hours. It was a Skype call (till 11:30pm for me. The interviewer who was the VP was from the west coast so 3 hours behind on the clock). The VP gave me a problem to solve and after solving the first one which took an hour, he asked me if I wanted to solve another one. I said sure and then I solved the second problem. He then said pretty good. After I told him the answer, he said he is keeping up pace with me and he needed to solve the problem himself to know the right answer, and our answers matched. He told me they are looking for smart people to hire because its a start up, smart people like me. He also told me that they will get back to me in the next couple of days, but they will get back for sure. He also told me that my previous skills are a good feather in the cap for me.
I am afraid that he was telling me these things because he probably dint want me to feel bad. The first 2 rounds (a week back) were with the CEO and the CTO and they said they will immediately schedule follow up interviews. Whenever they say couple of days, thats when I feel the rope gets thinner to stand on. I am really not sure what to do to get honest answers from their end. This interview will mostly meet the same fate as the ones I had last month.
Hi Vik,
They could be “stringing you on,” or they could be genuinely working through their hiring process, which usually takes time – even for a small company like a start-up.
Many things happen behind the scenes on the employer’s side that have absolutely nothing to do with you before the job offer gets generated or, even, the next round of interviews (if any) is scheduled. And, in a start-up, multiply the things that can impact the timing of a job offer. Start-ups usually operate on very thin financial ice unless they have a lot of funding behind them, and most don’t.
So, be patient, but do continue hunting for a job until you are holding a written job offer in your hand, one that you are willing to accept because it agrees with your understanding of the job (job title, salary and compensation, start date, location, etc.).
As the old saying goes, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over.” So, don’t anticipate a rejection that might not happen.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
I did get the job offer 🙂 I was contacted on Monday after my interviews were done on Friday. I signed the offer. I am however waiting on the visa paperwork from their end which seems to take forever. I hope they are not stringing on me at this juncture 🙂 thank you for all your guidance and support 🙂
Congratulations! Excellent news, Vik! Thank you for letting us know!
Happy to help – that’s what Work Coach Cafe is all about.
Hello
I had an interview today and now looking back i feel so embarrassed……………………. I asked such pathetic questions like – will there be a pay increase lol and I like to be kept busy don’t like to work anywhere if its boring oooohhh what have I done
Hi Ash,
Too bad! Possibly you can recover in your thank you by emphasizing something they liked about you.
And, for that next interview, prepare some questions in advance. It shows that you’re interested, and it gives you more information, in case they make you an offer. This post might help – How to Ask the Right Questions.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan