There's a particularly frustrating place to be in a job search: you know your CV is working because you keep getting through to the interview stage and the hiring manager wants to meet you. You walk out thinking, 'That went pretty well', only to receive an email that opens with, 'Unfortunately, on this occasion…'
Now you're left wondering why you were good enough to get the interview, but not good enough to get the job. The answer is that getting the interview and getting hired are two very different hurdles to negotiate.
The Credibility Gap
Your CV gets you through the door based largely on what you've done. The interview is about something else entirely: whether the employer can picture you actually doing the job.
By the time you're sitting across the table, the team already knows from your resume that you have the skills and experience required and what they're trying to work out now is:
Can this person solve our problems?
Will they work well with the team?
Do they understand what we need?
Can we trust them to deliver on our projects?
Do they actually want to be here, or are they just interested in a job?
Many candidates spend too much time proving they can do the job and not enough time demonstrating what the employer is really looking for at this stage which is how you think, what motivates you and the value you would bring to the company.
The 'Good Interview' Trap
It's easy to leave an interview feeling brilliant, after all, you answered every question, you were professional and the conversation flowed. However, being pleasant and competent doesn't necessarily make you memorable.
The successful candidate is usually the one who gives the interviewer a clear picture of what it would actually be like to have them on the team. They do this through relevant storytelling, specific examples and thoughtful questions to provide the evidence an employer needs to picture how you would fit in and how your problem solving could match the challenges of the role.
The 'Perfect Candidate' Problem
Some candidates try too hard to give the 'right' answer, telling interviewers what they think they want to hear rather than offering genuine insight into how they actually work. Ironically, this often makes a strong candidate less memorable.
The best interviews rarely feel like interrogations and more like a natural conversation about how you think, work and solve problems.
Be Honest With Yourself
If you’re repeatedly getting interviews but are not receiving offers, the answer is to get better at showing your value. Try asking yourself:
Am I demonstrating enough commercial awareness?
Am I clearly articulating my contribution, not just my responsibilities?
Am I showing genuine enthusiasm for this role, rather than just wanting a job?
Am I giving the interviewer enough evidence to confidently champion me once I leave the room?
Make yourself memorable by giving them a reason to believe you can make a difference to their team. Ultimately, employers don't hire the person with the best CV, or even necessarily the person who gives the best interview. They hire the person they believe is the best solution to their problem and the best fit for their team.
Sometimes the difference between coming second and getting the offer is simply making that connection clear.