Sorry.
There's no way an HR person is going to give you honest feedback unless it's a friend. Too much room for litigation. They'll give you some pre-rehearsed answer.

Try going to a interview workshop at a local college or career center. I know some public libraries also have them. These people will tell you more of a truth than someone who just rejected you for a position.

Hey! I'm at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!

Just thought i would comment and say great design, did you code it yourself? Looks great. If you wishto swap the links with us please let me know.

As a consultant, I have been working with numerous employers regarding employment matters. Unfortunately, the common practice among employers is subjective assessment of job applicants. It hurts both the employer and the job applicant.

And let's not forget age discrimination is rampant.

It is very difficult to hide your age when employer websites force you to indicate dates you graduated from high school or college. Anyone over age 50 knows this. Even though age discrimination is illegal it still goes on.

And when you go a job interview, and the people interviewing you are the same age as your children, well, forget it. Who wants to hire someone who is as old as their mom or dad?

I actually had a really bad experience when I had asked a guy for feedback. I was interviewing for a company and I'm fairly nice, have done social work, etc.
It was for an entry level sale job for a car rental place...
I drove over an hour to get there, arrived early and then was informed that I wouldn't be good for the job. The guy was even checking his myspace during the interview... I was trying to get some constructive criticism and I felt like I got totally reemed.
I should have known better when he said
"Do you really want to know what I think?"
He had said that I don't fit for sales at all and answered all these questions wrong and that id be better for human resources- but wouldnt qualify to apply for their human resources anyway and that I didn't try hard enough.
He had said " Like if you said that you had spilled something on your shirt and bought a new one for this on the way, I'd know you tried hard for this."
He didn't really know what I did for that interview and at that point I didn't want to even explain myself, like the silly things- bought a new suit, took out my nose ring that closed up :-P, arrived like an hour early and sat at the kfc next door going over sample q's..
It was the worst interview I've ever had!
Annnnd then I ran out of gas on the way home and had to call AAA.
Even though he was a complete ass I still thanked him for his time and left with a smile. That was REALLY hard to do... but I did.
and that's my story.

Employers will never tell you the (real) reason for rejecting you because they are afraid of being sued.

Better to ask during the interview, "You must have received a lot of resumes. What was it about my resume that caught your eye?"

adopt an aggressive state of mind

I am an unemployed administrative candidate, Nov.2010. I find the characteristics of my unemployment status fit the categories explained in many of the above comments. To all please know your comments and replies are helpful and encouraging. In consideration of all that have been stated, I shall maintain a positive attitude and adopt an agressive state of mind for my job search. With the confidence that I can perform the sought after job, if granted an interview; I shall enjoy the opportunity to learn something that will assist me in the next interview. I too think the interviewer has to determine they like the person enough to give them the job or someone knows you and speaks on your behalf to get the position.

Thank you all,
Annette

And yes,I made a few grammer mistakes, but I am tired and don't care.

I wish I would have found this site a long time ago,It would have saved time me from reliving my failed interview over and over again. I waited four years to be interviewed for a position as a school foodvservice manager.All of my former classmates, 15 of them made position. When I was called in by a former supervisor, my interview was short and sweet. I should have relized something was wrong when I finished and the receptionist said "boy, that was quick" but I didn't catch on. The interview was a sham. Yes everyone know who they are hiring and a lot of the time, like what happened to me, most companies are just covering their asses in plain english to avoid a lawsuit. Tonight, after many months being miserable about not getting the position that I worked so hard for, I can finally sleep knowing that what suspected really did happen.

i, don't think so.

Dear Job Applicants:

Here are my top 3 reasons not to hire you:

1. You do not use the word "nothing" correctly when you speak and/or when you write in English.

Most of the time the word to use is "anything". Here's an example:
The boss didn't have nothing for me to do (incorrect) / The boss didn't have anything for me to do (this is correct). If you don't know which one of these two words to use ... use "anything" and you'll be correct most of the time.

2. Listen up people who speak Engilsh as a second language. If you use both languages in a sentence when you speak and/or when you write you most likely will not be hired.

Here are some helpful hints: Firstly, if you speak TWO languages keep them separate. Secondly, you've got one up on most people because most U.S. Americans speak English only. Thirdly, at work, unless requested to do so, please speak English. Finally, if you need help with any language go to the library. You can learn a lot about any language by reading/hearing it spoken (audio books) and repeating what you read/hear out loud (quietly).
ALSO, if you are applying for a bi-lingual job and you are unsure of what language to use - use English first (unless the interviewer uses the other language to greet you ... then use that language.)

3. Listen, listen, listen, you are being asked questions by the interviewer, these are important questions. You MUST pay attention and answer the question. If you do not answer the question "correctly" because you did not hear or understand the question, you will not be hired.

If you did not hear the question, ask to have the question repeated.
If you did not understand the question, ask if the interviewer could expand on the question (to give you a better understanding/idea of what they are actually saying).

Remember it is not necessary to tell the interviewer that you are nervous. They already know that you are nervous, and telling them that you are nervous makes you sound like an excuse maker. If you are an excuse maker, you will not be hired.

Here's a hint that I hope will help you in your job search: Dedicate 15 minutes a day to improving yourself.

Please note that what I hope to accomplish here is to help you get hired.
Good Luck

V. Lopez

Get skinny, if you're older you're more likely to be overweight so even with more experience, you are a liability. You're more likely to get sick & take sick days, get hospitalized for health issue, and not heal as well from any trauma (car accident, broken foot, etc). And even though they can't ask it's assumed you take a couple medications & have more health issues that will ultimately increase the cost of company medical. Not to mention being fat is a sign of weakness & you may be lazy. You may not think you're lazy, I've known many fat employees who thought they worked their butts off & sweated alot, but honestly compared to the thinner people, the fat ones looked for any excuse to sit around. Thinner = more energy = more productivity = more money for the company.

I have always found that being outgoing, warm, honest and charming is far better than being robotic and practiced. To an experienced interviewer it will show. Just try being yourself!

my problem is i have experiance for 30 years in sales ,customer service .the compony ask.state.zip .code.out of usa.they did not accept my work experiance.what can i do or how can you help me to my experiance.and olso doyou sendme some intervieiw q?anser for my querier .

I was unemployed for 18mos, I took the first job that was offered to me and let me tell you I am over-qualified and underpaid based on doing the exact same job for another company in the past. Before this job though I went on many many interviews but even if I followed up with a thank you email or a call asking about the position most companies wouldn't even respond and they don't really send out rejection letters. They can do this because of the economy we are in, for every one position there are 1000 people that are willing to do the job and they are going to find the person willing to do it for the least amount of money. I'm still looking for something better but now the first question/concern is why are you leaving your current employer so quickly, will you leave us just as soon? College degrees and experience are pretty much getting you no where right now.

As a management consultant, I do work with employers and would like to share some insight here. First, if you’re a job applicant, don’t allow yourself to fall into depression because of a rejection or getting rejected all the time. The chances are high that it was not your fault. I tell you why?

The reality is that the job market and established employment concepts and trends have changed. In the past few years, for whatever reason, there has been an influx of desperate job applicants, many of whom with excellent credentials. If there is a heaven for an employer, this is it. They are getting hundreds of people applying for each job posting. So, they have become very selective. Having excellent references, good and advance education, and direct experience may get you the interview. You will get the job if the interviewer likes you. That is it.

Also, we live in a diverse society and many employers, unfortunately, are discriminating in employment practices more than ever. Obviously they are not going to tell you that they didn’t like you and that is why the job was offered to someone else. The suggestion made in the above article to ask the employer for the reason is for not hiring you is to presume the employer is naïve.

All of the previous postings have very valid points. The "over qualified" discussions in this blog resonate at so many levels. GUESS WHAT, HR is fooling themselves if they think the new "moldable, do what you're toldable college grads" are going to stick around when they find a new better position.

Most companies do not even bother to let you know you didn't get the position, let alone tell you why.

I also don't buy the "overqualified" excuse. In a market where candidates are getting multiple job offers the reasoning may hold true but not in this job market. I find it humorous that companies hire you with the attitude that you will be working there the rest of your life, when in reality you will only work there a few years. It's especially funny when it's a short term contract position.

Did anyone else notice this:

QUOTE:
"Usually, this involves contacting the recruiter. Start by sending a simple note. Something like:

“Thank you again for interviewing me. I understand your decision to go with another candidate and I accept your decision. I’d appreciate any feedback you can give me.”

?? I understand your decision to go with another candidate and I ...........

If you "understand" their decision ... why in the hell would you write to ask "Why you didn't get the job?"

If someone sent me that note, with that sentence ... that would pretty much nail it; you cannot compose a simple three sentence note without contradicting yourself ! So, working a full day would probably be too much for you to handle.

This article is the usual BS you can read anywhere. You might find a person willing to give you feedback if you are lucky and they were honestly evaluating candidates. But let's face it:

Companies are trying to get what they perceive are the most experienced people they can for as little money as possible. With the ecomomy and unemployment what they are, experienced people are out of work. It doesn't necessarily mean they are any good, but 10+ years of experience, especially if they worked for a large or well known company, are thought to be a good bet. It is too much effort to assess who has potential.

Another problem is that the people doing the hiring may not know their ass from their elbow regarding technology. We live in a keyword, buzzword culture, and pay the price with lousy products. I personally will never work for anyone that says "Hit the ground running" - it's idiotic. Sure, leap before you look or think, that's the way of the world today.

Just ask if there's anything they noticed you could work on.

Please don't let anyone tell you there is no age discrimination in this country. It is alive and well!! I recently drove 5 hours round-trip to interview with a major company. This was after TWO successful phone interviews. I spent 1-1/2 hours with the hiring manager, who told me, "It's so hard to find workers who aren't senior citizens or getting ready to retire." I am 62 and don't look my age (most people think I am between 48 - 50), but there is NO WAY I can pass for a 30-something anymore. Bottom line? He hired someone else, and could not even furnish a legitimate answer as to why he went with the other person. He simply said he was a "better fit." The contracting firm that sent me in there is stunned, and I wasted $350 on the trip. Maybe someday companies will get out of the mindset that when you reach a certain age you become worthless...but I don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

Hello fellow job seekers I too am looking for a job I have applied to a lot online where I got one interview out of the tons of jobs I applied for and of course did not get the job. I don’t get it I dressed my best, researched the company and still nothing, hell I was even dressed better than some of the people that worked there. I even did it the old fashion way and when out to companies in my area and tried to hand out my resume. Most did not even accepted it saying that hiring is handled by an outside firm and of course most where freaked out at the mere site of a college grad looking for a job. However I was lucky enough to at least get one company to accept mine resume and I got a business card to. However since they are brand new to this location I figure I have a better shot since I hand delivered the resume and am pretty sure they have not posted they are hiring yet.

I finally was hired in a position after searching for over a year, doing all types of jobs to make ends meet. I didn't submit a resume and cover letter, I did the opposite, I posted an ad on Craigslist outlining my skills and the wage I wanted including benefits. I posted it specifically in my area where I live. I never thought anyone would respond but an employer actually looked up those skills on the internet and called me in. I am now going to work, got the pay I wanted, and it's close to where I live! I recommend this, posting ads out there being sure not to give out listed phone numbers and make sure you check that other email address (don't use your personal one). It is almost like being self-employed but if you point out your credentials online, someone somewhere is sure to read it and either refer you or call you in. Sometimes when you are sending resumes and cover letters, no hiring department gets any idea of you, I was told many times that sometimes, if the company is in a hurry to hire, they will pick what they feel is a good resume and are very disappointed interviewing. But they need that person to fill a position or several. So if you advertise yourself you might get a job quicker than waiting for the phone to ring from the normal routes.

Sometimes it is no always about the qualification. In an interview drive of say 8 qualified persons, the interviewers, say the HR manager and the departmental manager will look at how the person would fair out in the already existing team of people, the type of industry that the firm is in compared to those you have been in, and sometimes just how you come across as being able to fit in in their world. I remember interviewing 6 people for a job and at the end, more than one were properly qualified, and experienced, but it came down to personality, and social background because of the industry we were in, we had a culture of lively, social, and out there marketing that made it more practical to hire the more younger more energetic and outgoing person. So I guess what I am saying is that it is the total package, not just what you have on paper that will get you the job sometimes.

The real fact is a person gets hired because the person(s) doing the interview likes you. Getting someone to like you in a matter of minutes is the real problem. If anyone finds the key to this please post it. I work in a factory now after being in managemt for years, and the truth was, deep down I couldn't get anyone else to really like me during an interview for another management position. So, with the funds running low I ripped up my resume filled out an application by hand ( never lied on it) got an interview and the HR person asked me if I thought I could handle the mundane task of factory work during the interview. I said with a big smile (as this was a hiring question) I sure would like to give it try. and I got the job. I'm 50 years old and because he liked me I got the job even though he had his doubts. I still look for other work but don't feel desperate anymore. You have to be liked before you get the job offer.

I lost a lot of good interviews because of HR hiring people the already knew( and liked) and gave other companies ideas that they are using now but still didn't get the job. In such a job market as we have now age and experience is a factor that will keep you from a job unless you are liked.

My son has been looking for a job for almost a year now. He's very qualified in his field, but is now not a "20-something." He's held high executive positions and out of 100 resumes he tells me he has gotten "short listed" for 3 positions, one interview was by e- mail (YES they e-mailed him questions to answer) the other two were by phone.
He has followed up and not one response. In fact he got so upset with one recruiter that he relisted the job qualifications and what they were looking for and then responded with all of his skills and he was the perfect fit for the job. In other words there was nobody else really who could have been more qualified. Turns out they thought he was too old, they didn't exactly say that but that's what was implied.

Just because they do something illegal doesn't mean they won't do it or anything will be done about it. My hubby was laid off in 2003. He was a National Guard reservist and his employer told him he was being laid off because they thought he'd be called up to go to Iraq. They grouped him in with a large lay off but he was the only one in his sector or area or position who was laid off. He went to JAG about it and they said "Did you get that in writing?" Yea, the company was full of jerks but they weren't stupid jerks.

HR departments won't tell anyone why they weren't hired. The SOP is to say they "went in a different direction" or "someone else was more qualified." I've never known of any company to say "Well you should finish your MBA" or even "I would recommend not coming into an interview in torn jeans and a T-shirt." Not in this millennium anyhow. Maybe in 1950 that worked fine but not anymore.

Well, there r many times they just give you a diplomatic answer. It was difficult selecting ..all were good and we had to take one only blah blah !

I couldn't agree with all of you any more. I've been looking for a job in retail in my area for the last six months and I too have been hearing this "over-qualified" excuse. I did buy this book and several others similar to it and followed the advice; I ran through dozens of mock interviews with professional HR personnel I know, asked family and friends to give me personality feedback and critique my professional look. I have at least 10 versions of my resume and cover letter I can customize to fit the job I am applying for...I Google my directions and locate the building before hand and I make sure to arrive at least 10 minutes early and check-in because they say to show initiative and punctuality at the interview for a "great first impression."

The trouble is, companies do not want to waste the time training someone who already has any experience. They want someone who will learn what they want them to do without any fear of thinking, eventhough they put that as a requirement for applicants.

I tried the "Thank You Note" and follow-up call or email...I was able to get one response; the woman begrudgingly admitted that it was my assumed salary expectation that lost me the job. When I asked her what the starting field compensation was in the Q & A at the end of our initial interview, she dodged it by telling me that it would be discussed if I was offered the position. When I talked to her later, she told me that she felt that my salary expectation for my experience exceeded the designated wage. I made it a point to find out the wage...$16.00 an hour USD...that's $1.50 more than I made at the time and I told her so! She was baffled and truly embarrassed.

There are also these niggling litle things that I've started to notice about job postings as well. They will say that a "qualified" or "well-qualified" candidate will have experience or connections within the industry they are applying too. One company I recently applied too, a fashion retailer, actually insisted that the PART-TIME SALES ASSOCIATE have connections in the fashion industry that could be contacted! It's really bad if a company has to put that sort of loop-hole in their posting.

Interviewers want a qualified candidate who takes initiative, has a customer service orientated personality, can motivate and develop a team, has a mind for business numbers and has some experience in the field...well, at least that's what they say in their job postings. The reality is far removed from what's posted.

It’s only human nature to become so cynical after so many rejections and no luck in the job market. I thought I would never be unemployed for almost a year. I prepared myself well by graduating with a college degree and having drive and determination to climb the corporate ladder in my career. I put in 110% in resumes and cover letters. When I do get interviews, I study the company and most importantly myself. I reflect on my personal goals, strengths, weaknesses and past experience. I’ve tried different strategies for interviews; the silence is golden rule, direct approach to JUST simply answering the question, and adding more benefits to a statement and NOTHING. I think the next interview I go into I WILL take a recording device to hear myself.

The bottom line is, I have tried different things and it is frustrating when you cannot seem to get it right. When you have been unemployed for months, and you are limited on cash, emotions start to surface and that is where you start to doubt yourself. You start to doubt yourself and wonder if you should have said more, less or nothing at all. -A confident person can become a bad interview. This has been a long journey for many, I continue to try different things and I am exhausted. However, I am not depleted. We are living in a day where perseverance is everything. I am not alone. I do not wish this upon no one. Good luck everyone and hang in there.

Sage advice! Especially the content regarding feedback from the interviewer! It is candid yet gracious.

There is wisdom that rejection can be the proverbial "lining in the silver cloud." I speak as someone who was once laid off from a position after many years and received no advance notice.

Will look up the book.

Over qualified...the reason most employers won't hire an "over qualified" individual is because they don't want to waste time training and individual for the job to have them give their notice as soon as something"better" comes along- that is more related to their particular field or previous income level, they also view over qualified applicants as someone who will not be happy in that position based on your previous employment histories, education and income levels. So they are content to hire someone with lesser qualifications knowing they may very well be "content" with the position for several months/years.

Over-qualified! I've run into that also. I can tell if I am overqualified for a job, but if I am interested and willing to take the job and do it...why exclude me on that basis? Especially when you want to work for a particular company. And there is always something to learn in a new position, even if you are overqualified....frustrating as hell.

I've been unemployed for almost 7 months now, and I still haven't found a job. I have applied for countless jobs, but I can't even get a courtesy email or phone call telling me that they've chosen another candidate. I keep hearing that I'm either over-qualified or that I don't have enough experience in my field. Two questions: First, how am I over-qualified for a position? If I can do the job, give me the job and let me work! Second, if I don't have enough expeirence in my field, how am I supposed to get experience in my field if a company won't hire me and allow me to get said experience? I have a bachelor's in computer science. Obviously, it can't be that difficult for me to learn.

How many search committees does it take to change a lightbulb?

I don't mean to be cynical but I have been on at least a dozen (full day) interviews that ended up with the organization not hiring anyone. Then a few weeks or months later, the organization reopens the search.

Some of these organizations do not even have the courtesy of letting you know by telephone or letter. I have received a few email rejections where you cannot even reply.

There is just a culture of "bad manners" these days. Highly qualified, successful, experienced and credentialed people spend long hours in preparing for and sometimes traveling to a day long interview. It's just not fair.

Good Luck. It seems that experience does not make it. I too in 2005, due to downsizing lost my job. It was a Regional Director position. I am still trying to re-enter that field...over qualified and age have been quite the road block.