Why Didn't You Get the Job

Your resume is perfect. You were dressed appropriately. You answered all the questions correctly. You were confident and well groomed. You smiled a lot. You went back and left a hand-written thank you card with the receptionist just after you wrote the note in your car right after the interview. But you didn't get the job... again. The only answer you ever get (that is, if you even get an answer) is something vague like, "We just didn't feel that you'd be a fit." ...or something to that effect. But you never get any feedback as to why you really didn't get the job.

Here are 5 reasons that recruiters/hiring managers will never tell you why you didn't get the job:

1. You are a woman who chooses not to wear make-up. I do not understand why women are required to wear make-up as an outward demonstration that "they care about their appearance" to the same degree that men are required to shower in order to demonstrate "they are" functional human beings. If one is a model, the fact that she (or he) will be wearing make-up is a given whether that person is working or looking for work. But why this standard is applied to women who are not models simply boggles my mind.

2. You are too fat. What the size of somebody's waistline or how much that person weighs has to do with their qualifications to satisfactorily perform duties that are not directly related to those numbers is completely beyond me. But the cold hard truth is, it happens day in and day out. I personally find this to be appalling so please don't shoot the messenger. The purpose of this article is to help people realize that such discrimination in the work place is alive and well.

3. You have tattoos and/or visible piercings in excess of mere female single-hole ear piercing. Even though tattoos and body-piercings for both sexes have become much more socially acceptable in the last 20 years or so there are still a great many people that attach negative stigmas to anyone who has visible tattoos and body piercings. If you are a qualified candidate for the position you are seeking to obtain a smart hiring manager would merely explain to you that you must have your tattoos covered and piercings removed at all times while you are at work. The reason for this is that a tattoo/body piercings would not be in alignment with the company's image. Unfortunately, there are so many job applicants in today's job market that hiring managers find it easier to move onto the next person who does not have visible tattoos and/or body piercings.

4. You are wearing too much perfume, cologne or aftershave. Although you might think dousing yourself with an expensive scented product may cause the person you are interviewing with to be pleased at your fervor to appeal you may be accomplishing quite the opposite. The truth is that you may actually smell quite bad. There is no way to know if the person you are interviewing with will appreciate any aroma at all. They will just move onto the next candidate who is a little less eager to arouse their sense of smell.

5. You are a smoker. It is an inarguable fact that smoking is hazardous to one's health. It is also indisputable that second-hand smoke is just as damaging to peoples' health and well-being. It would be a good choice for anyone to quit smoking simply for the fact that this would improve the quality and length of their life. But aside from applying the principle described in Number 4, I don't understand how someone being a smoker should be a reason why they didn't get the job if they met all other qualifications. There are fewer and fewer places where one can smoke in doors or even within a certain distance of many office buildings. I should think that if one was a chain smoker they would understand by now that there is no way they could perform the functions of most jobs that require them to be physically present in an office. A good hiring manager would simply verbalize the rules to the perspective employee. However, in today's economy with the flood of applicants it is easier for the hiring manager to simply eliminate a qualified candidate simply because they smoke.

Is any of this fair? Not by a long shot. However, the next time you are wondering about why you didn't get the job you thought you should have, do an inventory to see if you fit into any of these 5 categories. If you do, chances are you've found the answer.