Reasons Why You are Not Getting Called Back for a Second Interview

Landing job interviews gives you temporary confidence that hiring managers are interested in your potential, but failing to reach the second phase quickly deflates your sense of self-assurance. Take a moment to view yourself from an outsider’s perspective, and identify flaws in your job interview skills. Whether you’re a conversation hog or an unenthusiastic job seeker, a thick skin and some self-reflection can help you get on track to overcome the second interview hurdle.

1. Poor First Impression

If you didn’t have time to iron your shirt, walked into the interview looking exhausted and repeatedly checked your watch throughout the conversation, don’t be surprised when the interviewer doesn’t call you back. Bad impressions aren’t always this extreme, so in general, be mindful of your physical appearance, energy level and demeanor. Hiring managers have limited time to measure up your value, and they won’t call you back if you give the impression of being poorly prepared, unmotivated or impatient.

2. Extensive Training Required

Job interviews help hiring managers find out how well your resume matches up with reality, especially when you have less experience than other candidates. If you haven’t spent enough time learning about your target industry, potential employers may be turned off by the prospect of a longer training period for non-entry level jobs.

While you’re often encouraged to ask interview questions, avoid topics that make you seem uninformed about fundamental knowledge required for the job. If you lack an essential skill or software knowledge specified in the original job post, demonstrate your initiative by spending time before the interview process looking for resources to fill those gaps.

3. Poor Conversational Skills

Good job interviews rarely have lengthy periods of awkward silence because both the interviewee and the hiring managers achieve a natural balance of back-and-forth conversation. If you don’t speak enough, hiring managers can’t evaluate your personality or qualifications and question whether you possess adequate communication skills. If you never stop talking and frequently interrupt, you may come across as extremely nervous or arrogant and self-centered.

Make eye contact throughout your job interview, and deliver statements with confidence and authority. Instead of rambling in an effort to avoid silence, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before answering interview questions. Pausing not only enables you to reorient your mind, it also shows interviewers that you’re thinking and not simply reciting a list of rehearsed answers. Show your interest and passion by commenting on company strengths or accomplishments that attracted you to the position.

4. Poor Cultural Fit

Unfortunately, a stellar resume can’t make up for a mismatched personality, and many hiring managers won’t give you a straight answer on this issue if you ask for interview feedback. Avoid compatibility problems by thoroughly researching the company beforehand or contacting the human resources department. If you prefer conservative corporate environments, consider skipping job postings for trendy, relaxed startups, and vice versa.

Diagnose your job interview pitfalls by paying attention to the subtle body language and verbal cues of interviewers. Your conversation may be too vague and not engaging enough if the hiring manager runs out of interview questions long before the allotted time is over. Don’t ignore attempts to prompt longer responses, and use question-and-answer portions of a job interview to weave in more details about why you applied.

Photo courtesy of the Levo League at Flickr.com