6 Most common reasons why People fail interviews

There are 6 common reasons why people fail interviews… from not showing the personality traits that employers want to see, to not asking the right types of questions at the end of the interview.

A lot of job seekers come to me saying, “I keep failing interviews,” but they aren’t sure what to do differently (or whether there’s anything they CAN do differently). Trust me – there is. And I’m going to share everything in this article.

Let’s get started…

1. You didn’t research the job and company very much

Don’t underestimate this step! Employers want to hire someone who’s thorough and hard-working; no matter what job you’re interviewing for.

And the first way to show them you work hard and don’t cut corners is by walking into the interview knowing about their job and company.

• Try to know more than anyone else they’ve interviewed. 
• Study the job description and make note of the key responsibilities.
• Research the company, too.

Know how they make money, who their clients/customers are, who their top competitors are, how big they are (100 employees, thousands of employees, etc.), and more. Try to imagine what some other job seeker out there is doing, and then do twice as much. This is how you stand out.

This is pure effort. You don’t need talent to do this. You just need to put in the work. And employers do notice when you’ve done that extra research.

Your level of confidence when answering interview questions like, “Why did you apply here?” or “What do you know about us?” is just completely different when you’ve actually done thorough research. Your interviewer will pick up on this and love it.

2. You didn’t ask them very many questions

Employers want to hire someone who is looking for specific things in their job search and knows what they want.

Otherwise, they’re going to be afraid you’ll get bored, not like the job, leave as soon as you find something better, etc. And how can you know their job is a good fit if you don’t ask any questions?

So not asking enough questions is a huge red flag to employers and will make them worry that you don’t really care what type of job you end up with, you’re desperate and just want any job, or you’re trying to do the bare minimum to get hired.

And all of these are reasons why you’re failing interviews potentially. You should ask at least one or two questions to each person you meet with. If you want to know what questions to ask, we have a detailed guide on the best questions to ask the interviewer.

3. You didn’t send emails thanking each person you met with

This is another way to show you’re a hard-worker who takes the extra steps to go above and beyond what’s required, rather than someone who cuts corners or waits to be asked to do something.

And which type of person do you think employers are hiring?

I’d recommend sending a thank you email to each person you met with face-to-face in an interview. Send it the following day at lunchtime, or the evening after the interview when you arrive home.

4. You couldn’t explain what you’re looking for in your job search right now

This is something a lot of job seekers don’t realize, or just really underestimate. Employers always want someone who is targeting specific things in their job hunt.

If you don’t sound like you’ve thought about what you want to do next in your career, employers will be worried you’ll change your mind and leave, not enjoy the job and get bored, etc. So if you want more job offers, show employers you know what you want to do! And if you’re unemployed, be ready to explain why you left your previous role.

Also, make sure you’ve prepared a good answer for “tell me about yourself”. This is often the first thing they ask and is a way for you to tell your story while also bringing them up to speed on what you’re looking for right now.

5. You couldn’t explain why you want their specific job

After showing them that you know what you’re looking for in your job hunt, be ready to explain how their specific job fits into that!

This is where doing your research helps. Review the job description thoroughly so you can name responsibilities that you’re looking forward to doing and building skills with.

Employers love to ask questions like, “why did you apply for this position?” to check whether you have specific reasons for applying. And you aren’t going to get very many job offers by saying you just need a job, or you have bills, or you’re unemployed and need to find work.

• I’ve talked to so many job seekers who don’t get this, or who are frustrated by this when I explain it.
• They say, “I just need a job. Why do I need to act like their job is special?”

The truth is: If you don’t care about their job, they’ll probably find someone who does. This is a likely reason why people fail interviews and don’t get hired.

I’d recommend thinking more about what you DO want to be doing, and then only applying just for that type of job.

6. You didn’t show excitement/enthusiasm

Hiring managers want someone who’s going to come in and be positive, energetic, and excited about the work. It’s okay if you’re not the loudest, most energetic person. I’m not either.

But you need to “turn it up” a little bit and show SOME enthusiasm. If they tell you about a part of the job that sounds interesting, say so! Try to say, “That’s great. That sounds really interesting” at least once or twice in an interview where you’re learning about the job duties.

You’re joining their team, and they want someone who’s going to be energetic, excited, and care about the work.

I hope this article is able to convince you of that. The people who tell you it’s all luck or there’s nothing you can change don’t know what they’re talking about. So keep trying, keep going.

You’re just one good interview away. But do change something if you keep getting rejected and failing in your interviews. The steps above are where to begin.