15 Reasons You Were Rejected that are Beyond Your Control

Posted on by Ms. Marcie

I’ve been looking for a job for months and have learned that there are some things in this process you can control like your resume, cover letter, job applications and your attire. On the other hand, there are unknown people and forces that will prevent you from getting a job.

Following are 15 reasons you were or may be rejected in the job search process based on my experiences and conversations with hiring managers (some of whom rejected me).

Reasons You Were Rejected

  1. The company already has an internal candidate in mind. They posted the position because they are legally required to do so.
  2. Other applicants know someone in the company. This connection gives them an edge over the competition.
  3. Hiring managers don’t know what they want. They know they have a position to fill but are not clear about the skills, qualities and requirements the ideal candidate should possess.
  4. The interviewer is not trained on how to conduct interviews or select applicants.
  5. Recruiters Hiring managers may request to have a position posted and then change their minds. (Updated 1/31/2022).
  6. Employers may accept a certain number of resumes and yours didn’t make the cut. According to Recruiter Box, recruiters receive an average of 250 applications for one position.
  7. You are overqualified for the position “allegedly” (even though you meet all the qualifications and requirements on the job posting).
  8. The longer you’re out of work, the longer it may take to get a new position.
  9. Poor credit may be a deterrent. Some employers conduct background checks, which include credit checks.
  10. Studies show that Black, Hispanic and Asian candidates are discriminated against during interviews because of their names.
  11. Conscious and unconscious interviewer biases and “isms”.
  12. Your salary expectations may exceed what they’re willing to pay. There’s room for negotiation here.
  13. Your address impact your employment status.
  14. If what you want from a company does not “fit” what the company offers in terms of environment, benefits and operations, then it’s not a good culture fit.
  15. Your social media profiles can make or break you. Be mindful about everything you post and share – pictures, posts, videos and comments.

Above are a few reasons you were rejected for a job that are beyond your control.

What About You?

What other reasons have you learned that people didn’t get jobs beyond their control?

Let us know in the comment box below.

 

Image credit: Freeimages

6 thoughts on “15 Reasons You Were Rejected that are Beyond Your Control”

  1. You called out some intriguing things Marcie. Two more things to add are ageism and if you’re not good looking enough. Both of these show that the person hiring someone else isn’t qualified to do so but it’s certainly not the fault of the candidate.

    1. You’re right, Mitch. Another thing I forgot, prejudice against obese people. Would that fall under not being good looking enough or a different category?

      1. It falls under the good looking category. It could go for people with tattoos, disabled people and the like. Actually, what’s interesting is that sometimes those hiring others will turn away someone who looks too good because in their minds those people aren’t as smart as those who might be closer to average. So maybe I should have just said looks that aren’t compatible with the impressions the hiring person expects a good worker to look like.

        1. You know, I didn’t think about the other side of “isms” – being too good looking, too young, too ethnic, etc. Thanks for pointing that out. The job search process is really hard these days.

  2. Thank you so much for this post, Marcie. I’ve applied for so many jobs over the last two years, and haven’t had much success. It’s easy to feel demoralized. Reading over these reasons makes me feel a lot better. I just have to keep up the good work on my end, which is really about all I can control.

    1. R.S., I feel you. Conducting a job search can greatly can be a big blow to your confidence and it’s good to know that it’s not always about us. But here’s the good news for us: we write. I’ve found that working on writing projects as I conduct my search is a confidence booster. Let me know how I can help you on your job search journey.

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