Does this scenario sound all too familiar?  The job market is flat.  You’ve applied to dozens of jobs online with no response.  You think you’re a perfect fit for each job you apply to.  You engage a Recruiter who gets you an interview.  The interview goes off ‘flawlessly’ in your opinion.  The feedback from the Recruiter was “they went with someone else who was a closer fit for the job.”

It happens ALL the time and has happened at least once, to everyone who has had the unfortunate experience of being in a job search.  Why does this happen?  What can you do about it?

Unfortunately, there is no magic solution to landing that job.  Hiring managers are HUMAN, they have good days and bad.  They use unknown criteria in selecting their next hire.  They play favorites.  They make decision based on who will make their jobs easier.  They sometimes don’t know what they are doing, and are in their roles because someone higher up from them is too lazy to make the hire themselves.   If these factors come in to play when interviewing – HOW can you increase the chances of landing that job?

There is hope, but you will need to do your homework and do some preparation before your interview.  Believe it or not, you can be a PERFECT fit for the job on paper and say 1 thing wrong in the interview and you can go from leading candidate to “thanks but we have someone who is a better fit” in just a few seconds.

Using a Recruiter will give you an advantage over someone who isn’t using one.  It’s our job to understand the requirements.  It’s our job to understand WHO the hiring manager is and how they hire.  We always get some cultural information about that manager and about their job and personality.  It’s our job to prepare you as best as possible for the position you’re interviewing for, because that’s how we make a living.  YOU are our product, and the hardest product to sell to a buyer/client, because we have to make sure both parties say yes before we get paid. 

Know your Recruiter.  Know your client.  Know the job.  Know the hiring Manager.  And to minimize sabotaging your own interview by saying the wrong thing – take a look at:

10 overused phrases that interviewers hate. 

mediabuzz.monster.com/benefits/articles/846-10-overused-phrases-interviewers-hate

15 Toughest interviews and questions

saleshq.monster.com/careers/articles/2206-15-toughest-interview-questions-and-answers

12 Worst Job interview mistakes

saleshq.monster.com/careers/articles/997-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes

7 Things you must do in an interview

saleshq.monster.com/careers/articles/697-seven-things-you-must-do-in-an-interview