Job candidates are often passed over for job opportunities for which they are perfectly qualified. It’s just one of many real-life examples of the adage “life isn’t fair.” But for what it’s worth, at some point in life there will be at least one job for which we think we’re the ideal candidate and for which we’re inexplicably turned down.
This can come down to luck-of-the-draw. That is, perhaps a less qualified applicant had better chemistry with the hiring managers during the interview process. It’s also possible that the employer placed more importance than you realized on a certain aspect of the role that you have experience in, but where another candidate had greater experience.
So you shouldn’t necessarily take it personally when you don’t get a job that you think should have been yours because your qualifications were perfectly aligned with the role. Unfortunately, hiring managers are rarely completely transparent, which means you don’t always know what’s going on behind the scenes.
But you can always ask for feedback. Some hiring managers will be gracious enough to share the reasoning behind passing you over for the job. But even without that insight, you should see this is an opportunity for professional inflection.
In other words, what could you improve as far as your resume and your interviewing skills? Here are a few considerations:
Resume Details
You may be certain that your experience and skill set match up perfectly to the job qualifications. But how adequately does your resume communicate this to the hiring manager? Along with the experience included on your resume, have you included a brief, corresponding line of the results you delivered when executing that task? This can help drive home the extent of your experience for hiring managers.
For example, if you have several months or years of experience as a hotel front desk associate, you might consider adding a line about the amount of revenue you were able to drive for the hotel in up-selling guests at check-in.
Also, are the personal details included on your resume relevant to the job for which you’re applying? If you have an objective atop your resume, it should be a statement that expresses not simply what you value in a future employer or future job, but it should also be something that the hiring manager can relate to.
Consider saying something to the effect of how you can save a company money or drive greater revenue for a business while also delivering excellent customer service. Any organization in the hospitality industry will prioritize these values. Plus, they show that your professional goals are aligned with their business.
A Positive Attitude
While you don’t ever want to appear to be cocky or arrogant in a job interview, you should always make a point of smiling and keeping an upbeat tone. Conveying a positive attitude to employers is essential not only because you will likely need to interact with their guests if you get the job, but also because a positive outlook also conveys self-confidence.
Confident people tend to be optimistic and in turn, successful. Projecting buoyant outlook and happy demeanor could give you a competitive advantage over another candidate.
More importantly, it also shows that you’re not desperate for the job. Candidates with an air of desperation will repel any hiring manager who wants a candidate who is likeable, has good social skills and has the self-assurance to know (or at least to project) that if they aren’t afforded this job opportunity, another is bound to come their way.
Being Informed, Prepared
If you feel that you’re so qualified for a job that you’re a shoe-in, you risk coming across as cocky during the interview process. If you show up for the interview having done little to no research on the company or the position, it will acerbate that sense disinterest or unpreparedness.
So make sure you’ve spent adequate time on the company website and LinkedIn pages. You should be familiar with the company history, mission and culture. You should also prepare questions that are relevant to the company’s business and to the role.
A Final Note
If you don’t get the job, you also shouldn’t dwell on the experience. It’s time that can be better spent looking for another opportunity. Plus, you don’t want to self-create a sense of negativity for yourself or worse, misplace that negativity on other potential employers.
Professionally speaking, you should want a job that’s about you. You should want an employer who has a stake in your professional development and your career advancement.
If you didn’t get the job, it wasn’t a fit no matter how well aligned your qualifications were with the position, but there is a better match fro you out there.