Not Getting Hired? You’re Probably Doing These 4 Things Wrong

Does this series of events sound familiar to you?

You have been applying to numerous jobs each day, then you get interviewed for a few positions. From that small pool of possibilities, you might be shortlisted for some, but after waiting for some time, they do not return with a job offer.

There can be a lot of reasons why you are having a hard time getting hired. More often than not, we look at external factors, such as the company or the recruiters themselves. But have you taken the time to look inside and ask yourself whether you are hirable or not?

Sometimes, the reason why you don’t get hired is because you need to resolve some issues first. Here are some areas where you can improve to increase your chance of getting hired.

• Unfavorable mindset
• Unsure personal identity
• Unclear work-life boundaries
• Unattractive professional persona

Unfavorable mindset

One of the issues which commonly hinder job seekers in getting hired is the perspective they have when it comes to the job seeking process. We get it — the process can be difficult, tedious, and overwhelming at times, causing you to adopt a pessimistic mindset as you go through it. Do not worry, though; you are not to blame for it.

Despite that, having an optimistic perspective can increase your chances of getting hired. A 2016 article by Michelle Gielan in the Harvard Business Review mentions several reasons why those who generally remain positive during the job search process are able to get hired more easily than their negative counterparts. According to the article, having a positive mindset can:

• prompt you to take positive action steps during tough times;
• make you appear more capable and likable during an interview; and
• lead to a higher job engagement and satisfaction and lower burnout rate once you get hired.

Is it late for you to adopt a positive mindset? Of course, not! As Gielan said, our mindset is like a muscle that we can train for strengthening. Her research showed three tips that may help you refocus your perspective and build optimism, which include:

1. “thinking of three new, specific things you’re grateful for each day;
2. emailing a two-minute positive note to someone new every morning to praise or thank them; and
3. spending a few minutes each day writing about the most meaningful moment from the past 24 hours.” 

Unsure personal identity

Another possible reason why we are having a hard time getting hired is that we have not yet developed a strong sense of personal and professional identity. Knowing yourself means understanding your characteristics, capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. From childhood up until the present, we are continuously finding our identity through our life experiences and upbringing.

We may have a general idea of who we are, but this does not mean that your personal identity will be automatically carried over to your professional self. Your sense of identity can be easily shaken once you enter the workforce due to unfamiliar environments and stressful situations. This is why it is important to not only know yourself, but to also embrace who you are. Being self-aware, open to constructive criticism, and confident are some of the ways you can develop your personal identity. 

Once you get a hold of who you are personally, getting hired can become easier and you can start to develop your identity in the workplace as well. This workplace identity will serve as your anchor to keep yourself committed in the next company you will be working for, no matter what phenomenon happens.

Unclear work-life boundaries

Once you get hired, it is normal to wonder how much of your day you will allot for your work or if you are willing to go over time for important and urgent tasks, but have you pondered upon these questions:

• When can I do my hobby?
• Will I be able to get enough sleep?
• What will my weekends look like?

These questions will make you realize that having a job is not the only thing you should focus on in your life. One thing that most job seekers (or even professionals already) forget when they prepare themselves for a job is the “life” aspect of a work-life balance. This is especially true now that remote working is becoming the norm of the global workforce, where your shift schedule is slowly becoming a suggestion rather than a mandate and flexibility is often taken advantage of.

Before you get hired, make sure that you know when and where your personal and professional life starts and ends. Having a strong sense of identity (both personal and workplace) will also help you determine when you need to say “yes” or “no” in personal and professional matters. 

READ MORE: REAL-ationship Advice: 5 Ways to Practice Self-Love in A Busy Workplace 

Unattractive professional persona

Lastly and maybe the most common (and obvious) reason why you are not getting hired — you might not be brushing up on your technicalities, making you look unattractive to recruiters and hiring managers. 

Sometimes, all you need to do to easily get hired is to update your resume. Maybe you need work on your interview skills to get shortlisted more often. Attending webinars, workshops, or short courses can also help you gain new insights and necessary skills. All these things lead to making sure that the next recruiter who sees your application will consider you as the top candidate for the job you are applying for.

Here in Kalibrr, we do not just offer you a place to look for job opportunities. At our very core is the desire to match the right people with the right job in the right company. This is why we also provide free resources and webinars to help you increase your chances of getting hired with the perfect job in the company that also works for you. 

As you work on yourself, the job seeking process will not change—it is still going to be tedious, difficult, and overwhelming. But with an optimistic mindset, a strong sense of personal and workplace identity, firm work-life boundaries, and an attractive professional persona, getting hired can become much easier.

—

Kalibrr is a recruitment technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, we continue to attract the best talent from all over, with more than 5.5 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures. 

For more tips on acing job interviews, follow Kalibrr on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tiktok.

Every week we produce new insights perfect for fresh graduates like you. Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Subscribe Now