You’ve seen a job advert for a role you believe you’ll be great at so you decide to fill out and submit an application. Do you find yourself waiting and waiting for a call from the company inviting you for an interview? Or did you attend the interview only to later find out that they don’t want to offer you the position?
According to a survey from the Department of Business and Innovation Skills, only 57.4% of graduates have been placed in highly skilled jobs. If you’re not getting invited to attend an interview or you feel as though you’re going to interview after interview and still not getting a job, it could be due to the following reasons.
Underqualified
It has become a lot easier to apply for a job through the click of a button. Take LinkedIn for example, all it takes is one click, and you’ve applied. While it’s good to be proactively applying for jobs that interest you, make sure you’re applying for the right job. If you’re a graduate there’s not much point in applying for a manager role if you don’t have the experience. Make sure you are qualified for the position.
Poor Presentation
Turn up to interviews looking smart, presentable and on time. Make sure your personality is the right fit for the role you applied to. For example, if you’ve applied to a Sales role, it’s important to come across as tenacious, driven and confident. Speak clearly and show enthusiasm for the role and company. To point out the obvious, be aware of your body language. A recent survey found that 48% of hiring managers said they know within five minutes of an interview whether or not the candidate is a good fit for the job, with body language being the main deciding factor.
Underprepared
Interviewers will be able to tell straight away if you haven’t prepared for the interview. You will be asked questions about the company / role. If you haven’t done your research, this will come across immediately. The Guardian states that by researching the company, you will demonstrate enthusiasm for the role and the company and they will then begin to see you as a top candidate. Prepare for your interview. Know your CV and experience, back up answers with examples. Have questions ready to ask the interviewer.
Lack of Experience
Research conducted by High Fliers Research Ltd revealed that almost half of recruiters who took part in the research stated that graduates who had no previous work experience were unlikely to be successful during the selection process. All work experience counts, make sure it’s on your CV. If you know the industry you want to get into why not think about doing an internship?
Competition
Competition is increasingly tough; you may feel you tick all the boxes and gave a great interview but are just beaten to the post by a candidate with a bit more experience or an extra qualification. Don’t despair; the right role for you is out there!
Further Improvements
Make sure your CV and cover letter is visually and grammatically perfect. Proof read!
Build a professional network on LinkedIn.
Obtain feedback after each interview in order to understand where your weaknesses lie, to help you improve for next time.
Have a look at our common interview questions and CV tips.