The 5 Common Traits of Unsuccessful Candidates

It’s only natural to become uneasy if you aren’t able to secure a job offer for an extended period of time. However, what might appear to be a dire situation could easily be fixed by taking another careful look at your own strengths and weaknesses. Those who find the job-hunting process most difficult often share a number of common traits.

1.  They have a high opinion of themselves and expect too much

If you mistakenly overvalue yourself in the marketplace when evaluating your own career history and skills and then refuse to compromise on salary and benefits or similar issues, you could find it difficult to secure a job offer. Even if you try to change jobs within the same industry and specialization, you might not always be able to increase your position or salary. It is important to separate your market value from an appraisal of your performance in your current company. Ideally, you should ask for an objective opinion from a career consultant or other third party and avoid making a biased judgement of your own market worth.

2.  They don’t leave a strong impression of their unique strengths

Candidates who are not able to secure a job offer have often failed to express how they used their own unique strengths in the course of their previous work. For example, a candidate who has achieved an ordinary sales record through unconsciously performing routine tasks may struggle to explain how their methods created results. In order to give the impression that you can perform your work with a unique approach, it is important to evaluate your career and prepare to discuss the times when you went above and beyond the basic job description.

3.  They have a passive approach to job hunting

If you use a career consultant, you can be introduced to positions that align with your skills and the conditions that you want. However, it is not enough to simply be introduced; if you don’t carefully consider the reasons that this company is a good fit for you, you won’t be able to show any enthusiasm for the role to the hiring manager. Even when using a career consultant to aid your job search it is important that you work together with them to properly identify companies and positions that fit your particular aspirations, and make your reasons for applying properly known.

4.  They are unenthusiastic and have a negative vibe

It is important to make your interviewer feel like they want to work with you. When it comes to choosing between a bright and positive applicant and one with no ambition and a negative attitude, more people would choose to work with the former. Desirable applicants have a positive way of thinking and are able to find solutions by themselves even when put in difficult situations. Although it might be difficult to change your actual personality and thinking process, it is helpful to practice answering typical interview questions and think about ways to leave a positive impression.

5.  They have problems with social interaction at work

In more or less every job that you work in, you will likely have to interact with people from outside your own department. Most people who excel at their work can communicate effortlessly not only with their bosses and immediate co-workers but also with other people in the organization. On the other hand, those who tend to avoid people they have difficulty communicating with often end up being a hindrance to the business. When pressed for your motivation to move in a job interview, it is important to not leave the impression that there were problems with social interaction in the workplace.

For those who just can’t seem to secure a job offer, it might be worth thinking about if any of these characteristics describe you.  If you make a conscious effort to objectively assess your personality traits and market value, you will increase the chance of your career change moving smoothly.