Ask the Career Coach: The Real Reason(s) You’re Not Getting Offers

Q.  I’m getting interviews but no offers, and I’m really starting to get worried.  What can I do?

A. You’re right, even if your resume is getting you in the door for interviews, the one-on-one convo determines whether or not you’ll land that job or internship.  There are many reasons you might not get hired; check out a few we’ve heard from recruiters lately:

He was very stiff.Spoke broadly about experiences. Need specifics.Questions were weak.Mistakes on cover letter!Didn’t have many questions for me.Did not engage with our greeter.I wasn’t convinced she wanted the job.Showed no interest in our organization.Very low enthusiasm, almost arrogantDid not emphasize how his experience/skills apply to the organization and the job he is interviewing forDifficulty explaining how he could contribute to our organizationHad a tendency to get off track in responses to our questionsDisheveled appearance.  Comb hair!Missed on teamwork examples.Shirt was too big and wrinkled.Provided vague responses.Had not done company research!

Maybe you’re guilty of one (or more?) of these.  But, maybe you’re not.  Maybe the company headquarters cut the internship position you were going for, or perhaps the boss decided to hire his nephew.  Regardless, here’s how to reset for the next round:

1) Remember that job seeking is like dating.

You won’t hit it off with every interviewer; nor will every organization be the right one for you.  The interview is a two-way street, a chance to explore the possibility of fit and interest in a second date (er, conversation).  Look on the positive side: Just as in dating, you will make some new friends along the way and discover what type of people/organizations suit you best.

2) Look for a pattern.

If you’ve had, say, three interviews but no luck, then there very well may be a problem, with the common denominator being you.  It’s time to take a hard look: Are you applying for jobs for which you really have no interest?  Could your nervousness be showing up as egotism?  Do you conduct enough research to talk intelligently about the job and the organization at hand?  You’ll never know until you…

3) Get feedback from a professional.

A few options: 

a) Schedule a practice interview in the OPCD.  Do more than one if you want.  It’s the only way to get an honest appraisal about how you are presenting yourself.  Don’t be embarrassed; your willingness to continually improve will be an asset in your new job.  Like I said earlier, most of us are not born knowing how to interview well.

b) If you have participated in at least 3 on-campus interviews, you can view any written recruiter feedback available.  Contact Samantha Ramirez at ramiresn@wfu.edu to see yours.

Carolyn Couch

A Certified Professional Coach and a National Certified Career Counselor, Carolyn Couch is Associate Director for Career Education and Counseling at Wake Forest University. She has been providing comprehensive career coaching for Collegiettes and Campus Cuties for over 15 years. She is a past columnist for the USAToday Online Career Center and a former board member of Dress for Success (Winston Salem NC affiliate), an international organization promoting economic independence of disadvantaged women.   

Send your career questions to her at couchca@wfu.edu.

• career advice
• job search