About the Job Hunt
Right now, the job market is really difficult. It’s tough for everyone working white-collar jobs, but it’s especially bad for new grads, or those with limited experience.
It’s a very frustrating experience.
Let’s clarify who is actually making the hiring decision and why you may not make it past each stage.
During the interview process for most positions, you’ll interact with several people and tools.
The Automatic Tracking System (ATS)
This is where your journey starts. It’s a database of candidates which recruiters use to filter through resumes - new and old - to find likely candidates.
Read more about the Automatic Tracking System
The Recruiter
Your first conversation is with the recruiter. \Why might you not advance past this stage? It could be due to a mismatch in skills, poor presentation during the conversation, compensation misalignment, or other factors.
The Hiring Manager
You’ll have a conversation with the hiring manager. Sometimes this is early, sometimes this is last. Why didn’t you make it past this interview? You might lack certain skills or industry experience compared to other candidates, interview poorly or unprofessionally (example: showing up in hoodie), or simply face competition from more qualified candidates.
Read more about the hiring manager
The team and/or peers
You may have one or more interviews with team members or individuals you’ll work closely with. Why didn’t you make it past this stage? The team might not see a good fit, you may lack specific technical requirements, or your presentation might not be strong enough.
Read more about the team or peers
Being hired
Often, there is a clear frontrunner, but sometimes multiple strong candidates make the final decision challenging. When this happens, the hiring manager must choose between the candidates.
Once the decision has been made, the recruiter then extends the offer, and a written offer is generated upon verbal acceptance. Delays in receiving an offer letter can occur due to approval processes involving HR and Finance.
Read more about being offered a job
Being rejected
You didn’t get the job…but how do you know? You might go through several rounds, all that seemed to go well. Do they send you an email? Do they ghost you? It could be that, or anything in-between.
Read more about being rejected
AI generated resumes
Whether anyone likes it or not, candidates are using AI to create their resumes. It can be a powerful tool, and you should use it. People have always lied on their resumes, and AI makes that easier, too - but you shouldn’t be one of those people.
Read more about AI-generated resumes
I hope this helps
By understanding this process, jobseekers can feel more confident and prepared as they navigate the interview stages and manage their expectations.
