Are Job Interviews Getting Harder? Why You're Not Getting Past the First Interview
It might seem like job interviews have gotten a bit harder. You might have asked yourself, “Why am I not making it past the first round of interviews?"
Because only some companies provide concrete feedback when rejecting candidates, it can be challenging to discern what’s keeping you from making it to the next stage of the process. As a job interview coach, I’ve noticed a handful of the same common mistakes that tend to prevent job seekers from moving beyond the first-round interview.
Here are five potential reasons you may not be making it past first-round interviews. Thankfully, once you uncover what’s preventing you from getting to the next interview stage, you can address it and improve your chances of advancing in the hiring process.
Why you're not making it past the first-round interview
1. You’re selling yourself short.
One of the primary reasons job seekers don’t make it beyond the first-round interview is that they undersell their professional experience and skills.
Although your initial screening call with a recruiter will likely only last 15 to 30 minutes, it’s a critical opportunity to showcase your relevant experience and demonstrate why you want to work for this specific company.
Important: In the current employment market, you can’t just meet the minimum job requirements and expect to move to the next interview stage. You must also learn how to communicate what sets you apart from fellow candidates if you want to stand a chance of making it to second-round interviews and beyond.
Spend ample time practicing talking aloud about yourself about your career wins and what distinguishes you from other people in your industry. Don’t be afraid to use language like, “My approach to product management is unique because…”
2. You don't provide enough details.
Applicants often don’t make it past the initial interview if they fail to provide the recruiter with enough detail about their experience and skills.
For instance, if you’re asked whether you have experience leading product launches, you don’t want to simply respond in the affirmative, you also want to share a specific example or story that demonstrates your experience in action.
Ambiguous responses make it challenging for the recruiter to compare you to other candidates and develop a profile for the hiring manager.
Use the job posting to guide you in developing talking points that align with the company’s needs. For each requirement listed, come up with an accomplishment from your career that speaks to your experience.
3. You ramble.
You might be getting passed up for a second-round interview if you’re sharing too much information too early in the hiring process.
Not only does rambling make it difficult for a recruiter to get through all their screening questions, but the unnecessary context can make it difficult to distinguish your transferable skills from superfluous details.
Practice limiting your responses to 90 seconds to 2 minutes in length—maximum.
Use the STAR methodology to help you frame your responses. Also, check in regularly with the interviewer to confirm whether you’ve thoroughly answered their question or need to provide additional details.
4. You’re failing to communicate your transferable skills.
You may not be advancing to subsequent interviews if your answers fail to adequately demonstrate your transferable experience and skills. You want to nimbly connect the dots between your experience and the company’s current needs.
Conclude each of your interview answers with a brief explanation of the transferable nature of your experience. If you’re transitioning from a startup to a large tech company, for example, you must be ready to explain how your startup experience is relevant to large tech companies and advantageous compared to traditional candidates with an enterprise background.
5. Your salary expectations are too high.
Although salary transparency laws have made it easier to discern which roles align with your compensation needs, you might get rejected after the first interview if the recruiter learns your salary expectations are starkly different from what the company has budgeted for the role.
Review the salary listed in the job posting, research additional remuneration offered by the employer, and ensure you align with the company’s compensation philosophy before you apply.
If you find yourself consistently misaligned on salary, it may be a sign that you need to target higher-level roles or change your expectations.
The bottom line
You won’t always know why you didn’t make it past the first-round interview. But, a small tweak can often mean the difference between receiving a rejection email and advancing to the next stage.
Dr. Kyle Elliott is the founder, tech career coach, and interview coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com. As a result of working with Dr. Elliott, senior managers and executives have landed jobs at Meta, Amazon, Google, and nearly every other tech giant you can imagine.