Why didn't I get that job?

Lately it seems my coaching practice has been booming, and I've been working with clients from different industries and at varying levels. However, there are a few things that remain consistent across all. A general lack of understanding of what they bring to the table (and therefore difficulty in projecting it to the interviewer), a hesitancy to build out and use their network, and a lack of understanding why they didn't get the job after what they thought was a good interview. I'll address that one here.

In a perfect work, an interviewer can be upfront with a candidate and explain why he didn't get the job so that he can either better prepare for the next interview or take a step back to see if he had the qualifications for that particular role in the first place. Sadly, most interviewers will not be honest and most would not be qualified to give good, constructive feedback in any event.

But here are some reasons you might not have gotten to the next round (or to an offer):

1. The business wasn't quite sure what they wanted in the role and were 'testing the waters' to see what talent was out there. Sounds unfair? It is but it happens.
2. The business had already identified the finalist candidate but was forced to bring other candidates to the table for comparison. In some instances, it is company policy to post all roles even if someone has been identified (from inside the company or through an employee referral). In other instances, someone strong has been identified but the hiring managers 'wants to see more people to be sure.'
3. The business decided during the course of interviews that they were changing the role and you were no longer a fit for that revised role.
4. They had a more qualified candidate. It happens. You might have had most of the requirements for the role but they found someone with even more. It might be that you were a finalist but a different candidate brought something they didn't realize they wanted until they found it.
5. You couldn't come to terms regarding compensation. This is the hardest of all. Many employers want to know your current salary or your salary expectations and knock you out of the box early without revealing what they want to pay. If you can, turn it around to say you expect to be compensated for the experience, expertise and skill set to the table. Sometimes though, the compensation just isn't right and you need to move on from that.
6. Your social media presence. This is happening more and more as companies check across a wide spectrum of social media before proceeding with a candidate. If it is in your nature to take a strong stand on social media about any number of topics, bear in mind there are people who will disagree with that stance and some will be in the position of making hiring decisions. If you don't want to work with someone who disagrees with you, that's fine. But don't make it over something that doesn't need to be on social media in the first place.
7. You just were not the right fit. This is the hardest one of all. What do you mean 'not the right fit?' It is not easy to hear these words because it is so personal. Were you too timid? Too forward? Too young? Too old? Too short? Too tall? Too heavy? Too skinny? Was your personality wrong? Were you too willful (or not willful enough)? Too controlling (or not controlling enough)? Did they think you weren't a good fit to their culture? Did you and the interviewer not hit it off? Are they looking for someone just like themselves (big mistake) and thought you might be an outlier. It's hard to argue this point -- just shrug it off and try to move on. What would I do? I'd ask just what they meant by 'not the right fit?' I suspect most companies would shy away from using that terminology though it might be the reason you were rejected.

If you can, after you have been unsuccessful in an interview, ask the interviewer (by email or phone call), for constructive feedback so that you can ensure you are selecting the right roles and so you can learn from the experience and land that next great opportunity. Ask for advice. It never hurts to get some and they might just be open to giving you more feedback. And don't just reach out to HR. Try to get feedback from the decision maker on the hiring team. You just might find you weren't right for this particular role at this particular time but there's always tomorrow!