Why you were not selected?

It is understandable that you would feel disappointed if you are not selected for a job when you thought you did pretty well in the interviews. Remember that interviewers are also human, and whether you like it or not, the reasons for not selecting you can be objective and also subjective. In any case, the prospective employer is not obliged to reveal to you these reasons which makes it harder for you to know where you have failed.

Here are some of the objective reasons:

Over qualified. The company do not require your higher qualification. In bad times, displaying your MBA, MSc and PhD may be to your disadvantage especially for entry level jobs. You may think that reducing your salary expectation to that for lower qualification could help. But it still gives some prospective employer that you may leave for a better paying job that suits your higher qualification commands once better opportunities come along. Use your discretion on when to use these credentials. If not sure, check out the past hiring practices of the company you are interested in.

Asking too much salary. For lateral moves, a 10%-20% increment is reasonable while for vertical moves you can ask for more than 20%. But then again this is subjective as it depends on the industry you are applying in and also the demand and supply for your kind of job. The point I am trying to put across here is not to expect to have same levels of salary jumps for lateral and vertical moves.

Cost Cutting. Sometimes company do come up with quick cost cutting measures. And it is most unfortunate if this happens halfway through the recruitment process.

Being politically incorrect. Interviewers do not expect you to be 100% truthful but at least to give politically correct responses. How you respond to questions would be a good indication on how you would behave should the company decide to take you. One good example, is when you are asked why you leave your ex-company. The last thing you should do is to excessively criticise your ex-bosses and ex-company. No matter how true this may be, this only projects the image of a whiner in you.

Inappropriate image. Your appearance at the interview was not appropriate. For example, not showing up with a tie when it is a company policy. Also needless to say sloppy outlook like crumpled and/or soiled clothing, inappropriate dressing, poor makeup, unkempt hair, etc, would not help either. If for some reason you have to lug big luggage with you, quietly ask the receptionist if you could leave it at the reception counter before you meet the interviewers.

Carelessness. Some companies require you to fill up job application forms when you attend the interview. Before filling up the form, look through the whole application form and understand what it requires of you. It would not reflect very well on you if you have wrongly filled in the form because you did not read it carefully or you have filled in the form with cancellation marks all over it.

Tardiness. Coming in late and making the interviewer(s) wait is one of the biggest mistake an interviewee can make. If for some unexpected reasons you should be late, please call in the company to inform them as early as possible. A rule of thumb, be present 15 minutes before the interview time so to give you time to compose yourself and also time to read and fill in forms if required. If you are nervous about the interview, it is give yourself some time to relax and compose yourself before meeting the interviewer.

Body Language. Your body language contradicts what you are saying. For example, slouching and not giving direct eye contact is hardly a show of interest in the job though you may verbally say otherwise.

Lack of Confidence. You did not prepare well for the interview and your lack of confidence shows when you fidget, stutter, show poor eye contact and reason illogically, something which do not occur to you in your normal daily speech.

Overconfidence. You showed too much of your confidence to the extent that the interviewer feels you are overselling yourself just to get the job. A typical example, is to give direct politically correct "Yes" or "No" answers questions without any qualifying explanation or any attempt to pause and reflect.

Here are the subjective and bizarre reasons.

Chemistry. For some unknown reasons, the interviewer feels uncomfortable with you. You may have reminded him/her of some unpleasant encounters.

Knowledge and Qualification. You are more knowledgeable and qualified than your prospective boss, especially if the position is to be his/her deputy. He/she may feel uncomfortable about this.

Looks and Personality. Good looks can be a double edged sword - while it does help to have good looks, it can also be a distraction.

Work Attitude. You are either too hardworking or too slacking in your work attitude and the last thing your prospective boss wants is someone in the team to be different from the rest.

Competitor Information. The "recruiting" company may be your current company's competitor firm. This is a means for the company to find out what their competitor is doing.

“Unsuitable candidate”. By rejecting external job applicants, some managers want to show to their management they could not find suitable candidate externally to strengthen their cause to recruit or promote someone from within.

So in summary, if you do not get the job, it does not mean you are not suitably qualified. But on the other hand, it may also mean you do do some serious reflection on yourself. As mentioned earlier, the recruiting company is not obliged to explain why they did not choose you. So the best you can do is to reflect upon the failed interview and try to improve and work on what is within your control.