Unsuccessful Job Application? 8 Potential Reasons Why the Employer Didn’t Hire You

Submitting a job application to a job listing you like is only the beginning of your actual application process. Passing the interview and impressing the employer or recruiter is just as important for being hired and starting your experience with the company. According to 2022 reports, 60% of job seekers abandoned the job application process due to it being too long or complicated. 52% of applicants also attested to waiting 3 or more months for employers to get back to them about their job interview.

These are the problems Jobs OneGlobe is created to address, both for job seekers and employers worldwide. If you’ve applied for a job recently and were met with unfavorable results, don’t lose hope. There are several very legitimate, objective reasons as to why an employer might not have hired you. Let’s see how you can turn your unsuccessful job application into a success story to truly nail your next job interview in 2022.

1. Lack of Certain Hard Skills in your CV

The consensus most hiring managers will agree with is that you should apply for as many job listings as possible to land a job. This is mostly true. However, applying for jobs that you’re not qualified for may not be a good idea. For example, if you’re a software developer who knows Java, Python, and CSS but is applying for a web developer’s position, you may not get hired.

Each job application is carefully reviewed by employers and recruiters who are looking for candidates who are best suited to their vacancies. This employer will go out of their way to hire a web development specialist before they consider hiring a software developer instead. One of the reasons why your job application may not have been considered is because you’re simply qualified for other types of work rather than the vacancy you applied for.

2. Poorly Written CV Riddled with Mistakes

A good CV can go a long way in ensuring that you get hired for the job you want. But, simply listing any and all skills, experiences, and certificates you have without rhyme or reason isn’t a good idea. You need to ensure that your job application is made using a proofread, well-formatted CV. Applying for jobs through Jobs OneGlobe will enable you to create a CV using a professional CV builder instead of opting for a DIY approach.

Using a text editor and lacking certain design or writing skills will lead to you creating a poor CV despite your apparent talents and expertise. You can use tools like Grammarly to proofread your information before you submit it through Jobs OneGlobe, especially if you’ve transcribed your data from another language. A poorly written CV can make a bad first impression and lead to your job application being rejected – avoid this by sprucing up your CV beforehand.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure
without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill

3. You Didn’t Answer the Interview Questions Well Enough

Applying for a job is only half the work – you’ll need to put in extra effort to prepare for the job interview and secure your job. Many candidates fail to consider that being invited to a job interview doesn’t translate to being hired outright. The employer or recruiter will take their time to review your CV, cover letter, and job application as a whole before considering hiring you.

Some employers also contact candidates telling them they’re not hired only to test how they’ll react to negative news. This is all a part of making sure that you are a suitable candidate for the employer’s business culture given that you’d spend eight hours a day with them. Take your time to prepare for each job interview and answer questions truthfully and honestly. If the employer likes your answers, they’ll get back to you shortly. Otherwise, learn not to take things personally and try to put yourself in the employer’s position on this one.

4. Your Social Media Presence is Shady or Dubious

Believe it or not, your social media presence will be considered when you apply for job vacancies. Employers and recruiters take extra care about who they hire which is why they vet candidates through social media. Before you submit your job application, it might be a good idea to go over your social media and spruce up your profiles. Delete any shady, inflammatory, or disrespectful content you may have uploaded or shared. Make sure that your profile pictures are representative (casual, everyday photos of yourself).

According to published reports, 90% of employers use social media to vet job applications, with 54% rejecting candidates due to negative findings on social media. While we are all human, it’s important to note that your job application is a formal request from you to join an employer’s company. In doing so, you would become a part of their business culture and brand image – employers and recruiters don’t want negativity attached to their brands.

5. You Were Late to the Interview and Were Unprofessional

Given how many job applications each employer has to go through on a daily, being late for your interview sets a very bad precedent. You don’t want to be late to an interview, whether it happens online or in person. Organize your day around the important job interview and be prepared for it. Even if you’re being interviewed online, it’s important to be professional and well-mannered.

Wear a casual button-down shirt, clean up your background of clutter, trash, or belongings that are too private for employers to see. Once the interview starts, answer each question succinctly, professionally, and objectively. Don’t speak to the employer as if they’re your friend – rather, respect their position of authority in this instance. These tips will help you avoid an unsuccessful job application in most cases. However, this will only help if you’re on time for your job interview and showcase that you respect the interviewer’s time.

6. You’re Unwilling to Move Abroad (if the Company is Abroad)

International work placements have become the norm in many industries around the world. However, many job candidates still prefer being employed in their cities for various personal or professional reasons. If your employer is specifically looking for employees from abroad but you’re unwilling to move there, there’s very little you can do to get hired. Insisting that you work remotely won’t work in most cases.

While you may work in an industry like IT or marketing, most employers will still prefer having you physically come to work every day. The only way for you to avoid moving abroad entirely is to apply for remote positions or work within your city/area. Don’t apply for jobs that require you to move abroad if you’re unwilling to take that step. If you’re fully prepared to move abroad for work, however, use Jobs OneGlobe to find amazing opportunities to submit your job application.

“Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.” — Hamilton Holt

7. You Didn’t Do Background Research on the Company

Depending on the company you’re applying for, the employer or recruiter may expect you to know something about them during the interview. Researching your future company is considered good sportsmanship in the professional world. Once you’ve submitted your job application, take some time to search for your potential company’s website, social media pages, etc.

Go over their mission, business culture statements, and which social causes they stand for. You only want to work in companies that share your ideas and mindset. Getting hired by a company that does everything opposite of what you stand for will be a bad experience for both parties. One of the reasons why your job application didn’t pan out may just be because you didn’t know anything about the company during the interview.

8. Too Many Candidates Applied for the Job

Sometimes, the simplest answer may just be the right one. Many job applications won’t work out for you because each job listing on the web receives dozens if not hundreds of applications. Each job application is vetted and considered carefully by employers and recruiters who have your and the company’s best interests in mind. If 100 SEO experts apply for a single SEO specialist’s position, you’ll have a tough time sticking out in the employer’s eyes.

The best way to mitigate your odds of an unsuccessful job application is to apply for several job positions of the same profile. You can set up custom job alerts on Jobs OneGlobe and be notified of when listings with your custom keywords are submitted by prospective employers, for example. If your job application didn’t work out this time, it’ll work out the next time – don’t let the competition discourage you from applying for great job opportunities.

Nailing your Next Job Application with Jobs OneGlobe

According to CNBC reports, 78% of job applicants who’ve applied for jobs in 2020 admitted to the fact that they didn’t consider that they misrepresented themselves during a job application. Job candidates often do whatever they can to land the job interview and find stable work, even if it means embellishing their CVs a little bit. However, this is often a bad approach, as employers and recruiters can quickly spot if your CV is too good to be true. As you’ve no doubt surmised, there are always some legitimate reasons as to why you were passed up by an employer.

What you should do is develop soft skills relevant to your profession and work on your job interview preparation. Research the company you’re interested in working with, go over their business portfolio and look for online reviews and testimonials. Don’t rely on tricking your interviewer just to land a job – it can backfire and cause harm to your professional reputation moving forward. Work on each job application as a separate project and you’ll be much more likely to land a great job on Jobs OneGlobe than you would otherwise.