There’s a common refrain among job seekers: “I want feedback!”
Whether it’s third-round ghosting, automated rejections, or total silence, job seekers wonder what they’re doing wrong and crave answers to improve their chances of getting hired.
Two doses of reality:
- Employers don’t owe job seekers feedback.
- No two recruiters or hiring managers assess candidates the same way. Feedback is highly subjective and seldom universally applicable.
Employers aren’t career coaches, mentors, or educators. They’re business entities with open positions designed to solve specific problems.
Employers operate in a litigious society—a fact job seekers conveniently ignore. Providing candid feedback opens a door that corporate legal departments want triple-bolted. A disappointed candidate with a sense of entitlement is likely to misinterpret “culture fit,” prompting them to file a frivolous lawsuit. From an employer’s perspective, assisting a stranger with their job search is neither their obligation nor will it pay off in terms of time spent. Conversely, legal disputes can have devastating consequences.
Employers who reject candidates without explanation aren’t being disrespectful; they’re engaging in risk management. As Lars Schmidt, the founder of Redefine Work, puts it: “Hiring is not a democratic process; it is a risk-mitigation exercise.”
Expecting a company to risk legal action just for your “professional development” isn’t just naive; it’s a glaring sign of the entitlement that’s likely keeping you unemployed.
Since recruiters and hiring managers rarely provide meaningful feedback, which, as aforementioned, is understandable, here’s some candid, assumptive feedback to help you improve your chances of getting hired. Consider this a professional courtesy.
Your Digital Footprint is Controversial
Private and professional identities are no longer separate. Employers will review your LinkedIn profile and activity, and Google you to determine if you’re interview-worthy. Getting into digital fistfights, posting impulsive rants, bemoaning that “nobody will hire me,” and employers don’t know how to hire guarantees you won’t be invited to an interview.
You Didn’t Show How You’ll Make Money for the Employer
Employers don’t care about your past responsibilities. If your resume and LinkedIn profile don’t clearly show how you influenced your previous employer’s profitability—by either making or saving money—and you don’t communicate that in interviews, you haven’t made a business case for why you should be hired.
You Didn’t Proofread for Spelling, Grammar, and Typos
If you can’t be bothered to proofread the one document meant to market your professional worth, why would an employer trust you with their business? A single typo signals a lack of attention to detail—one of the most critical soft skills in any role. Misusing “their” instead of “there” is enough reason for a hiring manager to reject you.
Your Use of AI Is Obvious
Employers are overwhelmed with “AI-slop.” If your resume sounds like it was written by an uninspired robot, employers will notice. The issue isn’t using AI itself; it’s neglecting to edit the output. By all means, use AI to help draft your resume and cover letters, but ensure you edit, edit, edit until the result is not only accurate but also reflects your authentic voice.
You Aren’t as Qualified as You Think
Self-awareness is a scarce trait. As a job seeker, you must acknowledge that there’s always someone younger, more qualified, or hungrier than you. You might have “the skills,” but how do they stack up against your competition? You aren’t being judged in isolation; you’re being compared to other candidates who are just as qualified—if not more so.
Your Verbal Communication Skills Are Below Average
“If you can’t communicate, it’s like winking at a girl in the dark—nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it. And the transmission is communication.” – Warren Buffett
I can’t think of any job where verbal communication skills don’t matter. If you can’t articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely in an interview, good luck getting hired.
TIP: Use the Situation-Action-Result (SAR) framework instead of just listing facts. By giving your answers a “beginning, middle, and end,” you make them far more memorable.
You’re Overqualified
Overqualification is a valid concern for employers. For one, you’re a “flight risk.” Hiring managers are right to assume that an overqualified candidate will quickly become bored, prove difficult to manage because they “know better,” or quit the moment a better-paying offer arrives. From an employer’s standpoint, an overqualified candidate isn’t a safe long-term investment.
You Have No Professional Visibility
If you aren’t visible in your industry, you lack what employers value most: credibility. We live in a world where success often depends on “who you know”; consequently, being unknown drastically limits your career. It’s reasonable for employers to expect candidates with 10 to 25 years of experience to have cultivated both a visible personal brand and a professional network.
You’re Not Likeable (the definitive feedback an employer can’t give)
Hiring managers hire candidates they like; thus, the truism: likability outweighs skills and experience. If you’re arrogant, cold, or socially awkward, your background is rendered null and void. Being the person the hiring manager actually likes is your greatest competitive advantage. Therefore, improving your likability is often the best job search strategy you can adopt.
About The Author
