Why weren’t you selected for the job?

Being rejected after a job interview can severely dent your self-assuredness. No rejection is ever pleasant, but it should not be viewed as an indication of failure. It is in all fairness that you see rejection as an opportunity to build and improve on your core strengths so that you are able to find a job that suits you best.

But, why do people get rejected for jobs? Inability to meet the qualitative requirements apart, major reasons for the same are:

· The resume makes no impact: Every job calls for highlighting specific attributes and hence if you need to apply for several different jobs, your resume has to be modified accordingly to make the desired impact. You will get to discern specific qualitative requirements for a job from job listings; by carrying out independent checks and inquiries; and through informational interviews. Since companies seek to hire staff who are ardent to join them, non-specific and bleary resumes are unlikely to make the desired impact. A cover letter is an important complement of the resume and in its absence, you will not be able to convey accurately what your career objectives are and how you can add worth and value to your contributions in the discharge of your functions. Like resumes, cover letters are also required to be custom-made for different companies.

· Post-submission, case was not pursued assiduously: With unemployment being what it is, organisations and companies are flooded with resumes. Except when absolutely essential, most resumes are perused perfunctorily and are filed. When you forward your resume to a potential employer, your aim is to have it considered favourably and elicit a call for an interview. If that be so, you ought to follow up by making discreet inquiries and subtly enthuse him to believe your suitability for the job applied for. Such follow-up inquiries will make them recollect your name at the time of interview and psychologically consider you on a better plane.  

· Preparation for the interview was deficient: Quite a few applicants give a dismal performance during the interview. They go through the process sans any preparation; astonishingly they display a poor knowledge about the company because they made no efforts to research. Ignorant of current situations, they have no idea about the role that they would be required to perform. Resultantly, they fail to respond to even the most rudimentary of all questions. It is essential that when you are face to face with the interviewing panel, you are able to exhibit your knowledge, expertise and experience in an exclusive way so that you come to be regarded as the most suitable candidate for the job. Your responses to questions posed should convince the interviewers that you will make highly priceless contributions towards the progress of the company.  

· Deportment during interview was dishonourable: It is rightly said that the first impression is the last impression. You are required to make an impact. The interviewer is gauging you for your appropriateness for a job and will form an impression about your professional abilities with regard to discharging your assigned charter and gelling with the company culture. You are likely to miss the bus if your deportment is dishonourable in any way. You need to be present at the venue dressed appropriately at the correct time and refrain from indulging in a behaviour that smacks of fault-finding, antagonism and impudence. During the course of the interview, you will have to communicate a sincere message that you indeed are aware of what the job entails and that you will be able to come up to the desired standards of performance. While how you do that is your ingenuity, the fact of the matter is that you need to come prepared for the interview.  

· Failure to take appropriate post-interview continuation action: Having gone through the interview, it will be wrong to presume that you need not take any follow-up action thereafter. It is in the fitness of things to send a letter of thanks to the interviewers; doing so will convey your eagerness to join the company. You could also take it as an opportunity to highlight any specific issues that you missed out during the interview. A telephone call made after some time seeking to know any further action required to be taken by you will also reiterate your keenness.

· Unfavourable reportage by references: Feedback provided by references are very important. You need to make certain that the views of the references indicated by you are indeed favourable towards you otherwise you could well be in for a shock. To that extent, identifying references and making available their details to employers is a task that has far-reaching consequences.

Job rejection hurts, particularly if you have very high hopes. But the manner in which you deal with it that describes you in your job hunting endeavours. Like while courting, it is vital for you to realise that rejection should be accepted as an actuality but concurrently maintain some element of scepticism about its truth. If you remain upbeat, you can always transform any repressed feelings into positive energy to push your job search further than what you ever imagined.