4 Simple Reasons Why You Didn#8217;t Get the Job

4 Simple Reasons Why You Didn8217t Get the Job 4 Simple Reasons Why You Didnt Get the Job Article by Natalie SevertYou submitted what you thought was a great resume but for some reason, you didnt get the job. What went wrong?Even if your resume truly was great, there are additional things that can hold back an otherwise excellent candidate. Your resume may have been trashed for one of the four reasons below1. You Didnt Tailor Your Resume to the PositionA shocking 50 percent of people dont meet the basic requirements of jobs they apply for. The majority of job binnenseekers spend less time reading a job description than they think they do. Nearly half (44 percent) believe they spend up to five minutes reading, whereas eye-tracking technology shows they spend just about a minute or less.Its crucial to really study the job description before you start tweaking your resume. So, first things first You need to tailor your resume to the position, and the only way to do that is to thoroug hly read the job description so you know what skills to include and expand upon.In the end, recruiters want to see the skills they asked for in the job post. When you are considering how to construct your resume, its all about integratingthose keyword skills from the job description throughout your resume. If you havent done this, it could be the main reasonwhy you didnt get the job.2. YouJob HopHow long do you typically stay with one company? If the answer is about a year, youre not alone. Most young adults in the U.S. hold an average of 7.2 jobs by the time theyre 28. Thats almost one job a year if you start at 18Furthermore, your taste for job hopping is an expensive one. In fact, it can cost a company 6-9 months worth of an employees salary to find and train a replacement. Good recruiters will avoid hiring job hoppers unless they find information that could offset the cost and risk.You have to show a hiring manager that youre worth it, thatthe value you will bring to the company is going to outweigh the costs youll generate. You can do that by adding quantifiable accomplishments to your resume. For example- Generated $5,000 in cost savings after negotiating a new contract with vendors.- Increased sales by 15 percent after implementing automated email campaigns.Give the impression that youll generate fantastic value for the company, even if its only for a short time.3. You Havent Had a Job in Six MonthsIf you havent had a job in six months, thats probably the reason why you didnt get the job now. Having too many jobs is a problem, buthaving too few is worse.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are more than 7 million unemployed Americans. Of those, 2 million are in a state of long-term unemployment, meaning theyvebeen out of work for more than a month.If you go six months without a job, it becomes almost impossible to get a new job because hiring managers wont even look at your resume.What can you do? You need to give your resume to someon e who knows that youre worth it. Start by building a LinkedIn profile and leveraging your network to look for open positions and referrals.Around 40 percent of all hires come from job referrals, even though they make up only 7 percent of applications. If someone vouches for you from the inside, youre much more likely to land the job.If you dont have an inside connection, contact a hiring manager without a referral. Send a message via LinkedIn that offers something of value and provides a convincing reason to connect. Once youve made positive contact, you can send your resume directly to the hiring manager, along with a personalized email.4. Youre Overqualified for the PositionLets say you applied for a lower-ranking position because you want to have a better work/life balance. You might not have gotten the job because your resume confused the recruiters. Why would you apply for a job thats beneath you?Its best to anticipate such confusion. Tell the hiring manager that you know what youre applying for and you have your reasons. You can do this in a well-written resume summary and cover letter.On a related note,it may also be the case that you took a lower job to make ends meet. Then, when you applied for a job more in line with your career path/professional level, you didnt get it. That might be because working a job that is beneath you can make employers look warily at you.Thats not to say you shouldnt work as a barista after graduation. But if you do that, consider taking on extra work thats more in line with you career path. Volunteer work, freelancing, internships all can be good ways to gain experience in your chosen field while working a day job outside that field. Put this experience at the top of your resume to show that youve developed your primary skill set despite any setbacks you may have faced.If you didnt get a job for one of these reasons, you can always improve your resume and get the next one. It takes some forethought and effort, but its poss ible. Think about how you come across to recruiters, adjust your approach accordingly, and you just might land your next interview.A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.Natalie Severt is a writer at Uptowork Your Resume Builder. She writes about how to create successful resumes so that you can land your dream job.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.