Why have you been told you’re not getting the job?
By anthony balderrama on Jul 29, 2010 in Featured, Job Search, Unemployment
A story that the Today show ran this week left me scratching my head. Not because of their reporting, which was a very good read, but because of the stories relayed by the interviewees. See, the article looks at the often discussed but still unsolved dour job situation for Millennials. The title says it all: “Gen Y: No jobs, lots of loans, grim future.”
Well, that’s cheery.
Young job seekers who have graduated from college or graduate school are struggling to find work. Some of these new job seekers are struggling not only to find the perfect jobs in their fields, but also to find any jobs that will cover their living expenses. It goes on to talk about the competition between these job seekers and baby boomers who are deferring their retirements.
“A quarter of workers postponed their retirement in the past year, with 33 percent of workers now expecting to retire after 65, according to a retirement survey by The Employment Benefit Research Institute.
“If they do manage to get hired, younger employees are often the first to be fired in layoffs. And when Millennials do land a job, it probably won’t be as lucrative due to intense competition for jobs. That means that this generation’s potential earning power is likely to lag over the course of their careers.”
Millennials are overqualified, from an education perspective. Yet, many of them lack the work experience needed for many positions so they’re not experienced enough. They can’t seem to win.
If you’ll recall, we recently asked you to weigh in on the overqualified debate. And you weighed in with passionate responses. Judging by your comments on that post, it seems that employers are turning away candidates who have too much education or too many years of leadership or just too many years in the workforce. They’re afraid you’ll jump ship the second the economy bounces back. By their logic, a 40-something year-old job seeker with 20 years of experience is a flight risk. Yet, as you readers have also told us, many baby boomers with decades of experience are being edged out by companies who want younger workers who are in tune with technology. But aren’t these younger Gen Y workers considered too inexperienced, as the Today article explains?
Judging by the comments you leave on the Work Buzz, Facebook, and Twitter, you’re frustrated with what you’re hearing from employers. (Or, in some cases, not hearing.) We want to know what feedback you’re getting and whether it’s helpful to you in your job search or if it only confuses you further.
Andrea Garrison | Jul 29, 2010
Reasons I have not been hired the past two years:
– Not dressed appropriately for the interview
– Did not “ask” any questions about the company
– over qualified
– out of salary range
– too far for commute
– I would not be happy working for a small company.
Everything reason under the sun except the two reason’s their faces gave when I first walked in their office. They saw “gray” hair and they saw a “cane”. They were actually giving reason’s that would normally be the applicant’s reason for declining the job! Go figure!!
Tim | Jul 29, 2010
My double-edged sword seems to be too much and not enough experience. I’ve been out of IT for six years but maintaining my currency through coursework. I’ve been told they don’t want to hire me because I don’t have enough “platform-specific” experience and/or I have too much experience and won’t be happy working for _______ (an entry/mid-level salary, in an entry/mid-level position… You fill in the blank). I just want to get back into IT at any level I can. Once I’ve proven myself, we can renegotiate salary, position, whatever. I’ve proven my abilities by maintaining a straight A average in my coursework. Just give me a chance!
Disenchanted Drexel Alum | Jul 29, 2010
I interviewed for a position at the Univ. of the Sciences in Philadelphia. While walking through the campus, the interviewer stopped by a construction site where a foundation was being dug, and said quietly “Maybe we should dig a hole and put you in it…”! I asked him to repeat his comment, and he said “You’re doing fine.” But I was not offered the job.
Do they have to be rude?
James | Jul 29, 2010
I wish I would be told why they don’t hire me.
1-Assessment test?
If something on the assessment test, challenge me. Let us talk about the questions and answere options; and why I selected the answer option I chose.
2-Qualifications?
3-Something from the background check.
If there is something, I would appreciate the decency to be confronted, so that the ‘facts’ can be discussed.
I am ususlly only told, ‘we have decided to choose another’.
Diana H | Aug 3, 2010
Yea I don’t understand it…. Drives me crazy!! I always wanted to get a job like writing in a magazine, periodical, something in creative writing. Most of them never even give you a chance for an interview let alone your foot in the door! All you see are like in job searches online are people with Bachelor’s Degrees.. I have an A.A. One time I applied to an online ad of a magazine publishing company because they were asking for a columnist. After maybe 6 months, they finally send me an email saying they appreciate my interest in the job but was looking for someone with more experience. They said they I was unstable because I’ve had several summer jobs that were like 3-8 months duration before moving on to something else. That didn’t make sense at all!! How else do you expect to pay for college if you don’t get odd jobs or part-time jobs to pay for basic living expenses?? Come on people!
Mimi | Aug 5, 2010
I have been informed that I “spoke too educated” to work as a pharmacy technician by an interviewer who from all accounts had a high school education and seemed to think I wanted her job.Ridiculous as she was apparently from a different department.
GrandmaO | Aug 7, 2010
I agree with James above, I have heard all those. The one that really gets me is the “credit check” did not come back within our qualifications.
I love it. What does a credit check, and yes in these times of unemployment and foreclosures people have lower credit scores, have to do with whether I can do the job. I have been out of work for 18 months now, constantly searching so my credit has been affected. Whose wouldn’t when lenders won’t renegotiate home loans to assist etc.
I believe when I go for an interview, which only happened twice in 18 months, or walk in to fill out and application they see a grandma who has a slight limp. Arthritis in the knee. I know its age discrimination. I do not look as old as I am, I color my hair and people are surprised when they find out my age but I am well over 40 and I believe that is part of the problem today.
Tiffany | Aug 10, 2010
I agree with Tim. I am a 25 yr. old IT student in Washington State; I have 5 years of IT experience with servers, networking and troubleshooting. When I went in to apply with Best Buys “Geeksquad” I was not hired because I had “too much” experience for entry-level, but “not enough” experience for mid-level. I asked them to hire me at entry level because I needed the experience, but they refused, saying they didn’t want to have to pay me at mid level for an entry level position. I realize that I am young, and have no professional experience but how do they expect me to gain the experience if they wont hire me?
Jeanne | Aug 19, 2010
I am the director of a state agency, and we are not allowed to tell candidates why they were not selected for a position. I wish we could because I think it’s definitely more courteous, and it’s a kindness to the applicant if there is a problem that could be corrected. Most folks truly want to learn from the interview experience so they can do better, and we all appreciate honesty. We used to be able to tell someone why he/she wasn’t hired, but you can only imagine in this litigious society, a few people decided the reason they weren’t hired wasn’t good enough or they were “discriminated against”, so they sued. No matter how careful, interviewers are human and say things that are misconstrued, or the candidate does not want to take responsibility for his own actions. It’s too easy to find an attorney to take a case on a contingent fee, and a lot of people – and juries – think government agencies (or corporations) have deep pockets to pay out big judgments. It’s awfully expensive to defend that type of lawsuit, even if ultimately cleared, and we have all heard about companies settling cases for small amounts even when they did nothing wrong just to avoid the expense of a trial. (It’s really sad because it cheapens and disrespects the people who actually have a legitimate employment claim.) The end result is that now we can’t give people any interview feedback at all because there’s too much risk for the employer. I think it stinks, too, because I would far rather answer the question when someone asks me. But as a society, we brought it on ourselves….
Annie | Aug 19, 2010
I agree with many of the posts here, it’s the same story here in England. The main thing I get told is “You’re not ready”, “You don’t have enough experience” or “Another candidate scored higher than you”. Non-reasons in my opinion as they were not backed up with constructive feedback when I enquired.
I’m a 21 year old with three and a half years on and off experience in my field and am just about to take a course in Business Management just to try and get myself up the ladder. Not sure if it will help but at least I will know I have the knowledge to do the job.
ss | Aug 19, 2010
Overqualified, have received so many applications and I did not make the interview cut, are looking at other candidates but will contact you if another position becomes available, etc.
This has only left me confused. I was always told to get the highest education possible, take charge, take lead and you will always be valued. I did that; I followed the equation for success and now I am underemployed and struggling to make ends meet. Still looking for the right fit; I have even been tempted to leave off my education.
george derr | Aug 19, 2010
When a company does a background check is it usually at the State level of the Federal level?
Bruce | Aug 20, 2010
I have had all these and more over the years. One way I have found to get around some of the issues is looking at non-traditional methods to getting a job. One of which is going through temp agencies. Even during this type of work I would hear that we are interested in hiring after a period of time, but of course I was looking again when something did not jell. The best I can say folks is to persist and work when and where you can. Having a job of any sort til you have that better paying one helps your attitude. And be patient with life, yes I know “patient”? What the heck you may say, but life is a marathon. Life is made up of a series of life experiences.
Good luck in finding that job folks… persist things do tend to work after a fashion. God Bless.
Dan | Aug 20, 2010
“You are not what I’m looking for.” = you are too old. Even the guy who interviewed me and flew me up there to be interviewed by his boss was flabbergasted and couldn’t understand it.
IT business – they want 20 and early 30 year old people, college degree, 5 certifications, 20 years experience on everything from PC repair to designing world wide networks. And this is just for the help desk positions.
Marc | Aug 21, 2010
Employers are starting to suck. I guess I am lucky enough to be working still, but I have had to take on a 3% salary cut, 401K retraction, meaning, the company stopped matching first about 7 months ago, then cancelled the benefit and sent us our money back that we contributed, not the vested amount by the employer if under 6 years, to invest elsewhere or get taxed on it, along with increased premiums on health insurance. Lucky I guess to be working, but its costing me to work there now with the commute. So, I am looking for a new position where hopefully closer to home, but its not going very well. I feel that I am stuck somewhere between under and over qualified like everyone else and have removed some work experience and education off my resume. Thing is, there’s just tooooooo many people doing what I have been doing for 15 years. Have to keep that 15 years off though, dont want to sound too much like a know it all.
ArizonaDawn | Aug 22, 2010
Wow, you hit the nail on the head. I have been unemployed for the past 8 months and with plenty experience I am not finding the jobs that I thought I would easily qualify for. I wish I could get answers as to why I was not offered the job but working with a temp agency seems to be a bit more promising then trying to get hired directly by a corporation or company. With this economy I think the credit check certainly hurts but when you are unemployed as in my case my credit score has hit the bottom. Without steady employment it is hard to just keep food on the table. I agree patience is key and not giving up- Prayer definitely helps too!!! I want to encourage everyone out there to trust God and dont give up!!! We can make it we have to just keep swinging until we hit it out the park!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thy own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths!!!! God Bless