9 most common reasons why your job application get rejected

Job searching can be daunting, more so if your applications always get rejected immediately.

Sometimes the reasons can be your own shortcomings that you need to correct. In some instances though, you can’t do nothing about the decision taken by employers, you need to keep it moving.

With that being said, we’ll be listing some of the reasons why most job applicant get rejected:

1. You were not qualified
The most obvious reason why your application was rejected is that you weren’t qualified for the role. Most jobs require a certain amount of experience or qualification. This is normally made obvious in the job description. The vast majority of the time, this isn’t a recommendation. It’s a requirement.

2. You are too overqualified for a job
Another problem beyond your control is that you might be overqualified. Because of the nature of the job market and education, there are plenty of people with degrees, but not quite enough well-paid work to go around. That means that graduates are applying for entry-level jobs. Unfortunately, when you’re overqualified for a position, three alarm bells start ringing for an employer.

3. You don’t fit their profile
This can be a very painful reason why your application didn’t get considered. You can be qualified, but you don’t fit the profile that the hiring manager or an HR person had in mind for the new hire. This can be your age, your educational background, or some other irrelevant factor.

4. A poor quality resume
The problem could also be that your resume isn’t quite polished enough. If you’re not tailoring your resume to fit each application, you’re dramatically lowering your chances of success. A poor-quality resume might also be structured badly or full of small mistakes. Double check your resume to make sure there aren’t any obvious spelling mistakes.

5. You sell yourself too short
Another problem might be that you’re not that great at selling yourself. This is something that can be a little unfair. Say, for example, you have the right skills and qualifications. But you’ve never been the kind of person to blow your own trumpet and talk about your successes. Being humble has its time and place, that place isn’t on a resume.

6. You didn’t send a cover letter
Maybe you got turned down because you didn’t send a cover letter. If you’re not in the habit of sending one, now is the time to start. If you didn’t know, cover letters are a vital part of any application. Cover letters give you the opportunity to really hone in on your strengths. In a resume, you’re restricted to one or two lines to describe what you achieved at a particular workplace.

7. There’s too much competition for jobs
This applies especially to jobs that get a lot of candidates interested. When a business is hiring for a popular job, they can afford to be choosy. They can afford to shortlist only the very, very best applications they received. If you’re not the best of the best, then you’ll miss out, even though you’re still qualified and a good fit.

8. You have been unemployed for too long
It’s a vicious circle: the longer you’re out of work, the harder it gets to find a job. That’s because employers don’t know why you’ve been unemployed. It could be because of family issues. It could be because of an injury. But, like always, put yourself in the shoes of an employer. If they see you’ve been unemployed for three years, the first question they’ll ask is: why?

9. They hired internally
The company may have been hiring internally. Because of rules and regulations, businesses often have to consider external applicants. However, most companies prefer to hire known quantities, especially for management positions. They may, therefore, have advertised the job, but never intended to hire anybody externally.