75 reasons you didn’t get the job

Cartoon by Hugh

Wondering why you didn’t get the job? It was probably because:

1. You’re not qualified.
2. You’re overqualified.
3. You’re qualified but someone else was more qualified or a better fit.
4. You wore too much cologne / perfume.
5. You smelled bad.
6. You wore too much makeup.
7. You were overdressed.
8. You were underdressed.
9. The job was filled internally.
10. The job was put on hold.
11. The CEO’s daughter got the job.
12. You’re too old.
13. You’re too young.
14. You look older than you are.
15. You look younger than you are.
16. You’re too good looking.
17. You’re not attractive enough.
18. You acted too desperate.
19. You acted uninterested.
20. You didn’t sell yourself.
21. You oversold yourself.
22. You didn’t give enough detail in your answers to their questions.
23. You answered questions in too much detail.
24. Your answers were wrong or just plain stupid.
25. You seemed overly prepared.
26. You didn’t seem prepared.
27. You were too chatty.
28. You weren’t talkative enough.
29. You were overly friendly.
30. You weren’t friendly enough.
31. You laughed too much.
32. You didn’t show a sense of humor.
33. You talked too loud.
34. You talked too softly.
35. You seemed arrogant.
36. You didn’t show enough confidence.
37. You were late.
38. You arrived *way* too early.
39. Your resume is too long.
40. Your resume is too short.
41. Your hair is too long.
42. Your hair is too short.
43. Your skirt was too tight.
44. Your pants were too baggy.
45. You were rude to the receptionist.
46. You were rude to everyone.
47. You appeared to be bored.
48. You were overly eager.
49. You lied.
50. You asked for too much money.
51. You were willing to take the job for much less than it pays.
52. You have drunk, naked, or otherwise scary pictures on Facebook.
53. They Googled you and found your blog about how much you hate your boss / your job / their product.
54. You said you hate your mother / father / sister / brother.
55. You didn’t go to the right college.
56. They have a diversity initiative and you’re a white male.
57. You answered your cell phone during the interview.
58. You were nervous / sweaty / jittery.
59. You live too far away.
60. You didn’t return their calls quickly enough.
61. You stalked the hiring manager.
62. You seemed stuffy.
63. You were too relaxed.
64. Your piercing(s).
65. Your tattoo(s).
66. They didn’t think you would fit in.
67. They’re skeptical of your willingness / ability to travel or to work the hours that the job requires.
68. You made weird facial expressions when you spoke.
69. You appeared aloof.
70. You used poor grammar.
71. You crushed fingers to the bone with your handshake.
72. Your handshake was too limp.
73. You didn’t make good eye contact.
74. You didn’t send thank you notes.
75. You brought your dog / boyfriend / girlfriend / mother to the interview.

The point of this list is not to overwhelm you with all of the things you might have done / will do “wrong.” It is to demonstrate that interviewing is extremely subjective, and if you apply to jobs that you meet the qualifications for, are prepared for the interview, and use common sense, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you did not get the job. Rather than second-guessing yourself or feeling defeated, after each interview take a few moments to do a self-assessment – and write the answers down so you can use them to prepare for your next interview.

1. What did I do well?
2. What could I have done better?
3. What was I lacking in preparation that I’ll be sure to do next time?

This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and it will help not only your confidence but your chances of success next time.

Now, go delete those blog posts [you know which ones I'm talking about] and take down those pictures from your bachelor party on Facebook.