How to Deal with Getting Rejected from Jobs You’re Qualified For
Research has shown that women are less likely than men to apply for jobs they don't feel qualified for, but no matter your gender, you know these opportunities may be a long shot. It's even more disappointing when you do meet the requirements and still aren't hired — so today we're talking about dealing with getting rejected from jobs you're qualified for.
Readers, how have you dealt with this situation? Have you made any tweaks to your interview skills or resume that have helped you get over the hump of getting rejected from jobs you're qualified for?
How To Deal When You Get Rejected from Jobs You're Qualified For
In a recent threadjack, commenters shared advice with an anonymous reader who wrote:
I keep getting rejected from jobs I’m objectively qualified for. … I have gotten to final interview twice. Most of the time I’m rejected after the first interview (have had ~20 of those). … None of these interviews are in person. … I have tried recording myself and things I have changed based on these are: talk slower, wait a second after the interviewer stops talking, ask more clarifying questions, smile less. Substantively, I have been happy with my answers although my delivery could be more direct and less detailed. My audio is crisp, no distractions, colored blouse with black jardigan as my video attire, glasses, subtle lip color. What additional techniques can I use to find further areas of improvement?
Here's some valuable advice from the commenters:
1. Practice common behavioral interview questions and prepare scenarios/examples. When the OP replied that she had practiced STAR-format stories, however, another reader cautioned, “The STAR thing is really bad advice when you’re trying to move up because it holds you in place. … I’m a SVP and have interviewed a bunch of up and coming managers and directors in my time, and this is a common mistake.”
The reader's advice on what to do instead? “[T]hink of how your boss would answer the questions you’re getting and figure out how to say those things honestly.”
2. Consider that your networking skills, not your interviewing prowess, may be the issue to tackle.
3. Think about hiring an executive coach. (Here's advice from Forbes on working with one, as well as our old discussion on how and when to hire a career coach.)
4. Check out this book: How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith. (Here are some videos with tips from the book.)
5. “If you’re trying to move up, especially at a company unfamiliar with you, you need to show that you’re already performing at that level and make it look to them like it’s a lateral move,” another reader wrote. “It’s not about what you can do,” she said, “it’s about how you can think strategically, understand the organization’s goals, and demonstrate how you can bring that all together in this role.”
{related: how to step up your wardrobe when you want a promotion!}
Readers, do tell: Have you faced this dilemma? What advice do you have for the OP? If you're in a hiring role, what mistakes have you observed among applicants that could cause this problem?
Stock photo via Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio