Top 10 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get the Job

Have you ever struggled with a job hunt and asked: “Why can’t I get a job?” Sometimes it’s just bad luck, but often there is something you’re doing wrong in your job search. Here are 10 reasons why the recruiter is rejecting you.

1. You’re Underqualified

You don’t need to have 100 percent of the skills and qualifications listed on a job description, but you do need to have a high percentage. Aim to apply for jobs where you fit at least 90 percent of the qualifications.

(That number drops for highly specialized jobs.)

If the job description asks for someone with three-five years of experience, your 2.5 years of experience may qualify you for the job if you’re strong in all of the other areas. Six months of experience isn’t going to cut it.

2. You’re Overqualified

It can seem illogical that employers would reject you for having too much experience or too many degrees. But remember that recruiters and hiring managers are looking for people who will thrive in the job they have available.

If you have an MBA and are applying for an inbound call center job, people will assume that you’ll find the job boring, so they won’t hire you. If you think you would enjoy a job for which you’re overqualified, make sure you acknowledge this in your cover letter and explain why you’re applying for this position.

3. You’re Focused on One or Two Companies

Your dream job is at the company across the street, so you apply for everything that comes up there.

It’s fine to apply for a few positions at the same company, but people sometimes want a job at a particular place so badly that they apply for 10, 20, or even more positions.

When your name pops up that frequently, you’re actually lowering your chances of getting a job. Companies want to hire people that want a specific job.

If you apply for too many positions, they assume that you just want any job and won’t necessarily be happy if they hire you.

4. Your Resume Is Sloppy

In real life, a typo doesn’t make a huge difference. In your resume? A typo can constitute the difference between whether you get an interview or find your application automatically rejected. Never submit a resume that you haven’t run through a spell checker and a grammar checker.

Always make sure that your resume was reviewed by a human with a good command of grammar rules. Your formatting is also important. Recruiters don’t want to see fancy resumes, they want to see resumes that are easy to read.

5. Your Cover Letter Stinks (or Is Missing)

Not every job posting asks for a cover letter, but if it does, and you don’t include it, you’ll lose out on the job. If it doesn’t specify, include a cover letter anyway. Make sure that your cover letter doesn’t just re-hash the information in your resume—that’s a waste of the employer’s time.

Your cover letter should focus on why you are a great fit for the position. It should take the employer’s stated needs and match them to your credentials. Remember, don’t claim that you are the best person for the position—you don’t know that and it makes you look foolish.

6. You Can’t Explain Why You Were Fired

Lots of people lose their jobs—some through no fault of their own and some because they did something stupid. Regardless of the reason you’re unemployed, you’ll need to explain what happened and why (if it was something you did) it won’t happen again. It’s hard enough to get hired when you’re unemployed, but if you simply blame your former boss for being a jerk, companies won’t want to take a chance on you.

7. You Have an Unstable Job History

If you’re a student or a recent grad, it’s okay to have multiple short-term internships and summer jobs. Otherwise? You should work at each job for at least 18 months, and preferably three or four years. If your last job was for 14 months, you better prepare to stay at the next one for at least three years. Otherwise, your record tells recruiters that you won’t stick around long enough to make training you worth the cost and time.