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Why You Got Rejected When You’re Perfect for the Job

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I think Alison you have made all the valid points. And the most of all is Point Number 1. 'One should never sit idle thinking this job opportunity is grabbed as soon as the interview is over.' Good read. Thanks for sharing... www.rahulayre.co.uk

Rahul 5:35AM July 21, 2011

I usually tell myself they had an internal candidate in mind, and had to post the position for legal reasons.

Rose of SC 1:40PM July 20, 2011

These are good reasons why candidates need to be prepared to ask tough, clarifying, 'Buying', questions of their own.
Most people are surprised to hear that they were not chosen because they trusted that they effectively 'sold' themselves. They answered the 'tough' interview questions ... followed all the 'rules' ... were extremely compliant and pleasant ... asked the right, non-threatening, 'expected' questions.
However, they almost never ask in-depth, 'buying', 'owner/boss', 'big-picture' questions, relevant to addressing the points listed. The people who got the jobs did. That is usually the difference between coming in first, or second.
One example: 'Based on what we've discussed today, is there anything that you feel stands in the way of making a decision in my favor?'
There are many more questions that candidates could ask, to help move themselves forward in the hiring process.
Re References: If you have them in writing .... Solid recommendations to your Character, on your LinkedIn Profile, references should be a non-issue.
In a Buyers' Market, most good employers, and hiring managers, are looking at candidates' A,B,C,D's - Attitude, Behavior, Character, Competence, Confidence, and Desire!

Ciro DiSclafani of NJ 4:49PM July 19, 2011

Phil Rosenberg teaches a resume class and talks about how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
One of the big challenges now is that no matter how qualified you are, the hiring manager knows there are many choices, and so is intrigued by the thought that maybe there is a better candidate out there somewhere - the purple squirrel in a world of grey squirrels. That purple squirrel may not exist, but the hunt for that color squirrel makes the hiring process drag out pretty far.

David Luke of NJ 1:41PM July 19, 2011

In Switzerland, you must be 25 to 34 years old to be engaged...
Then they systematically search a pretext to fires you when over 44...
Because the 25 to 34 abandon a maximum mutations gain to the pension fund, and the 35 to 44 years old abandon a smaller mutations gain to the pension fund.
But the 45 to 64 make mutations losses to the foundation.
And over 65, they would become a pension, what is unthinkable for the CEO!
So the CEO remains alone to perceive pension from the foundation!
For example, the ABB CEO became 156 Millions CHF from the ABB pension found, that he, of course, had never personally contributed!
I had, with thousands other, abandoned heavy mutations gains to the ABB pension found, so the CEO could legally become the sum of our mutations gains!

Jean-Francois Morf, Charrat, Switzerland 8:05AM July 19, 2011

Totally agree with A. Nony Mous, let good candidates know if there was a valid reason they didn't get the job. A friend of mine recently heard from an inside source that a position he interviewed for was put on hold. He then got a call from the HR rep stating that another candidate was hired instead of him. His source was on the team where the position existed so I think he is certainly a person in the know. Now what purpose did that lie serve other than to potentially lower the self-esteem of the the candidate?

Brian of PA 3:32PM July 18, 2011

I was doing very well in one job search, right up to the point were they asked for references. One of my references blindsided me. He told the hiring manager I "needed direction". True, as far as it went. In my previous job, I had had little to no direction. I like to at least be told "head north". But the hiring manager was a very new manager who worked remotely and apparently was not confident of her abilities. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to supply direction. I got dumped.
Moral - find out ahead of time what your references plan to say!

Vicki of CA 1:27PM July 18, 2011

A friend of mine was recently turned down for his dream job, a geology position that would involve a lot of hiking to retrieve samples. They probably hired someone with experience (my friend is fresh out of college), but they gave him the nicest rejection ever - a personal letter, plus about $100 worth of maps, equipment and other geology related stuff! It was wonderful encouragement for a new grad who is passionate about his field. Needless to say, he's keeping an eye out for other openings with the same company.
Please, hiring managers, if you turn down someone you really like, let them know! It's brutal to be job searching right now, searchers can use all the encouragement they can get.

A. Nony Mouse of WA 12:45PM July 18, 2011