Reasons why you don't get that Job

You send out resume after resume, and maybe attend several interviews. But you never seem to get the job offer. Why not?

According to career coaches and experts, there are several common mistakes that job seekers make over and over, often unknowingly, that prevent them from getting their desired  job. Below are some of the mistakes many job applicants make. To be successful in your search, make sure you’re avoiding them.

You don’t prepare for the interview (or you prepare inadequately). “In a competitive market, you can”t afford to wing it,” says Roy Cohen, a career coach and the author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide. you need to rigorously research about the company, the position, and any relevant information that will provide context for the interview. You also need to consider why you want the position, what qualifies you, and how the company will benefit you. “The bottom line is it’s about being smarter and better qualified, even against candidates who have more experience than you.”

You don”t follow-up–or you follow-up ineffectively. “The devil is in the details,” Cohen says. “If [a hiring manager] has two equally qualified candidates, who gets the offer? The candidate who follows up thoughtfully. You have to follow up on the job, be informed.

You don’t exhibit a confident image. Rather than appearing nervous or unsure of yourself, you want to appear enthusiastic and confident. “Practice your interview with a friend or tape-record yourself in advance,” Practice articulating short, concise answers and smiling. Exude enthusiasm and confidence; look great! Memorize a few stories about times when you made a change in your company. Talk about ideas you have for your position.” While appearing confident is a must, don’t overdo it: Nobody wants to hire an egotistical maniac.

You make assumptions. Some job candidates assume they already have the job just because the interview went well, Others assume they don’t have a chance because they haven’t heard back after a certain number of days or weeks. Instead of making assumptions about the process, “you need to manage every step in the process, from initial contact to offer,”

You send the same CV to different recruiters. Some job applicants do not know that they have to vary their CV according to the needs of the job they are applying for. The CV you send to a bank should be  different from what you send to a University application, engineering job etc.

You find it difficult to defend details in your CV.  Some applicants are unable to defend what they have written in their CV. This makes it look as if the CV was written for them and that details are either falsified or exaggerated.