Job Advice

Wondering Why You Aren’t Getting Hired?

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July 9, 2010
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A few days ago I had an interview with a candidate who was beginning to become very frustrated regarding her current Indianapolis job search.  She wasn’t getting called when sending her resume into companies, she wasn’t getting any feedback following her interviews, and she kept getting "ding" emails from companies letting her know that they were passing on her, but with no specific reasons.  As someone who was recently looking for a new Indianapolis Career, I could relate to her and wanted to do whatever I could to help her figure out where things were going wrong.

I spent about an hour and a half with this person, digging into her interview style, how she answers questions, walking through her resume, and talking about the positions to which she is applying.  What I learned was pretty interesting and made it very clear to me why she wasn’t getting the results she wanted.  

What were her challenges?

1)  Know your Experience!
The first thing that stood out like a sore thumb was that she was applying to positions that she wasn’t qualified for.  If you are a financial analyst with 3 years of experience, you probably don’t qualify for a CFO position that is requiring 10-15 years of experience.  Don’t take it personally, but it’s not quite your time for that type of opportunity.

2)  Impress your Interviewer!
When I asked her more info about the companies to which she had applied, she knew basic information.  Name of company and what they did.  She didn’t take the time to do more research on the company.  This is critical when you’re going into an interview!  Know your facts, know a little about the financials, know the history of the company.  The more you know, the better chance you have of making a lasting impression on the people with whom you meet.

3)  Be Honest!
We all know the statistics.  According to research from the Society for Human Resource Managers, 53% of people lie on their resume in some way.  When we were going through her resume, I noticed some dates that didn’t line up.  She had fibbed a bit on the dates to make a few gaps in her employment "disappear", and didn’t realize that she didn’t do her math correctly.  She also told me that she was a few credits short of receiving a college degree, when on her resume she listed her date of graduation and type of degree obtained.  These are big "no-no’s", and employers will find out!  Companies do background checks, degree verification checks, employment checks.  Be honest up front, it’s always easier than the alternative!

4)  Have Enthusiasm!
No one expects you to come into an interview doing cartwheels up and down the hallway.  But, it is nice for you to come in with a positive attitude, energy, and a smile on your face.  During my interview with this candidate, I could see the lack of excitement, energy and optimism she was feeling.  We all know that job hunting takes a lot out of you, but you have to go into each interview with the attitude that this could be the one!  If you’re lackluster and feeling depleted, it’s hard to convince interviewers that you have the drive and ambition to do the job well and to advance within the company.

These were just a few of the issues that I uncovered during my meeting with her.  Check out this article from CareerBuilder that lists out a few other reasons why you may not be getting the results that you are hoping for during your quest for a new opportunity!

If you need help finding Indianapolis job openings, or if you’re looking for and executive headhunter (or recruiter, as we like to be called!) please call That’s Good HR and ask to speak to one of our experienced recruiters.  We would love to help you!

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