Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been unemployed for awhile now (Nov. 08). To this day I've only had 6 interviews, 3 of those in the past two weeks. It took me forever to get interviews, and now that I'm getting them I'm still not getting the job!
Out of 3 recent interviews I've received a "no" on 2. I'm still waiting for the last response. I could have easily done any of these jobs. Although, I was overqualified for one of them (would still have loved the job!)
I don't understand why I'm not getting these jobs. Is it something I'm doing in the interview? I always think my interviews go well. I am a little nervous during the interviews, but I'm very professional.
I wonder if its the competition I'm up against. At one of the jobs another lady was interviewing and her mom worked with the company. I knew then that I didn't have much of a chance.
Without knowing how specialized a position you are looking for it is very difficult to comment on dearth of interviews.
Without a tape of the interview, and knowledge of the other applicants, it is hard to say you have done something "wrong" or if the other candidates were just better.
Insiders generally will beat out those that have no connections, you have to accept that and try to find places where you'll have inside track.
Being confident in your ability to help the firm is generally a huge plus, but being arrogant that you know you could do the job can make things go poorly.
I've been unemployed for awhile now (Nov. 08). To this day I've only had 6 interviews, 3 of those in the past two weeks. It took me forever to get interviews, and now that I'm getting them I'm still not getting the job!
Out of 3 recent interviews I've received a "no" on 2. I'm still waiting for the last response. I could have easily done any of these jobs. Although, I was overqualified for one of them (would still have loved the job!)
I don't understand why I'm not getting these jobs. Is it something I'm doing in the interview? I always think my interviews go well. I am a little nervous during the interviews, but I'm very professional.
I wonder if its the competition I'm up against. At one of the jobs another lady was interviewing and her mom worked with the company. I knew then that I didn't have much of a chance.
Is this happening to anyone else?
It's happening to a lot of people who post here, and it is a function of the economy. The competition is extremely keen at the moment, so much so that I believe that many of us who are currently working who were hired in a better economy would probably not even get shortlisted to interview for the jobs we currently hold were they advertised today. Miss Crabcakes has had I think 20+ interviews with no offer; she has an M.A. and never had problems getting offers in the past.
The fact that you are getting shortlisted means your CV is working, which is good news. If like Miss Crabcakes you have been successful in the past in securing offers indicating that your interview skills are good, you might consider how you can make yourself more competitive--some additional "coaching" with interviewing to polish your presentation (most of us could use constructive criticism in this area), adding an additional qualification to your CV perhaps by taking a course at the local community college, brushing up on skills through self-study, etc.
I am a great believe that "confidence is key" and it's easier to project confidence when you are feeling good about yourself and what you are able to contribute. My favorite method for this is getting involved with volunteer work. Give that some serious thought.
What has been your past success rate in getting jobs after interviews? If you've had issues in the past, you might want to ask a friend to help you practice or talk to a career counselor about doing some mock interviews.
But if you really haven't had much problem getting jobs in the past, I would just chalk it up to the economy and the amount of competition for each job. Most of the 'rules' about interviewing are obvious and people do them without having to think about it or be prompted (like being EXCITED about the job).
I have never had a problem getting a job after an interview. My previous job I was hired on the spot. I always ask questions about the company and I'm very positive and "excited" to be there. Maybe I'll try and practice with someone anyhow. I need something to make me stand out in a good way against the competition.
You're probably fine but if you've been unemployed for a while, you might possibly come across as too desperate or less than sure of yourself. Make sure you don't give off the "please please please give me a chance" vibes.
If you feel that it could be something you do in the interview, I don't see a problem with contacting the person who interviewed you and asking them ways to improve next time. At least that would help your confidence in the next interview. Most likely it's due to the stiff competition, but if you don't have that lingering, "what if I'm crap at interviews?" thought, you'll probably nail the next one.
Good Luck!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
