Bombing an interview is never fun. But at least you’re not wondering why you never heard back. In contrast, when you’ve had an amazing interview—you answered all the hiring manager’s questions without a hitch, you communicated your most relevant skills and experiences and you showed you had researched the company in advance—and you don’t hear back? Well, that’s incredibly frustrating.
Here are three reasons that the call didn’t come. Once you’ve figured out the problem, you’ll be that much closer to landing the job.
1. You weren’t a good culture fit
Even if you had every qualification they were looking for, you might have gotten rejected because your personality seemed too different from their team’s personalities. Unfortunately, many exceptional candidates are passed over for jobs in which they’d thrive just because the hiring manager (inaccurately) thought they wouldn’t fit in.
To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, find out as much as you can about the company’s culture before the interview. Is it relaxed and informal? Be a little more casual. Do employees frequently volunteer? Mention your philanthropic efforts. Does everyone take advantage of the on-site gym and healthy café fare? Mention the 5K you ran with your co-workers.
2. You were overqualified
It’s always a risk to hire someone who’s got everything it takes… and a little more. After all, how does the company know you’re not taking this position to fill the time until you find something better (and higher-paid)? Hiring managers might be flagging you as overqualified if your current responsibilities are greater, more complex, or more demanding than the responsibilities of the position for which you’re applying. Other signs include a decrease in salary, title, or required education level. To demonstrate you’re not simply taking the role because nothing else is available, stress how excited you are about working for this organization in this job. Get as specific as possible. For example, you might say, “I’d love to work for your company because you offer more than four different professional development training programs. As someone who takes every opportunity to learn more, that’s really exciting.”
3. You didn’t know anyone
Unfortunately, many jobs end up being filled by referrals. You could have been the ideal fit—but you didn’t know anyone “on the inside.” But that doesn’t mean you’ll never get a job at a company where you don’t have connections. Next time you’re applying for a position, review your contacts to see if you have any first, second, or third-degree connections who are employed at that company. If you do, you should reach out to them and ask about their opinions of the business, the working environment, their colleagues, etc. Don’t ask them to refer you—the goal is to have them offer to do it of their own accord! Even if they don’t offer, they might end up passing your name along. And, if you don’t know anyone, pick a stranger who works at the company and email them. You’d be surprised at how many perfect strangers will agree to a coffee date if you request one politely