With the rate of unemployment increasing in Nigeria, you may find yourself in the position of applying, going for interviews and still remaining jobless. You may have left the office smiling and joking with the interviewer, thinking the job is all yours. So why was someone else hired and you were not? These four reasons may shed some light on the situation.
1. You don’t know the right people
Your Academic records may be fantastic, your Resume may be attractive, and you may perform very well during the interview –but if another candidate is the employer’s lawyer’s daughter, you might be out of luck. This isn’t a reason you can’t really avoid. Your best bet is to keep praying that such doesn’t happen to you.
2. You’re overqualified
Don’t be surprised –you really can be overqualified for a job position. It’s especially true in a tight economy, in a country like Nigeria. A candidate that is more qualified would require a higher salary and benefits package for a competitive offer and for long-term retention. If someone else interviewed who fit the qualifications but didn’t overly exceed them, it might be in the company’s best interest to hire him and save the cash. When filling in your Proposed Salary, think twice.
3. You came with conditions
You may be a good candidate for the job, but if you come with strings attached, you may not get hired. If you can’t see yourself working in some parts of the country, or if prior commitments mean you will have to work odd hours, it could take you out of the running. If possible, come in condition-free or at least willing to compromise.
4. An unpredictable reason
Often, the reason is one you may never know. You may get an unrelated job simply for having a shared interest with the interviewer, or perhaps because you have a skill the employer hopes to learn from you. It may be as simple as two or more candidates being equally qualified, and you lost the coin toss. The best advice is that : KEEP PRAYING AND ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
It may also be a simple reason like a bad comment you probably shouldn’t have made, or a more blatant reason like answering your cell phone during an interview (never a good move, no matter how friendly you are with the interviewer!). Be honest with yourself about the interview process–if you can think of a slip up, learn from your mistake and keep it in mind for your next interview.
Whatever the reason, do your best to learn from it and apply it to your next interview.
I hope this helps…
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview
What a great post!. I just hope a lot of job seekers out there are reading this. I could remember an offer i applied for, i thought i almost got the job after doing well in the last interview but alas, i could not get the job probably because the salary i demanded for was too high for an entry level position…