My wild ass theories on why you are rejected for jobs

I have wild ass theories on why you may be getting rejected for jobs that have no basis in proof. What do you think of my thoughts and the fixes that I suggest? What wild ass theories do you have about job search? Share them by leaving a comment! Kathy

If recruiters don't know how to pronounce your name, they won't call you.

THE FIX: Add the correct pronunciation or an easier-to-pronounce nickname in parentheses after your name. Examples: Lyubuv ("Loo-buv") or Lyubuv (Lou).

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Adding your full address with zip code into your resume will cause some employers to reject you because they know that you live far away from their office.

THE FIX: Just include your major city name/state for your address ... and YOU decide if you want to make the drive; NOT them. Doing so also helps guard against identity theft of your address.

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If your name is foreign sounding, they won't call you because they don't want to deal with immigration paperwork.

THE FIX: Say (honestly) that you are a US citizen or explain your job status, such as “permanent U.S. resident” near the top of your resume.

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Job duties that are too brief on your resume (like just "Provided massage therapy") sounds like you are a low-level/low pay employee.

THE FIX: Explain why your duties mattered. Example: “Provided therapeutic deep-tissue massage to chiropractor's clients to address medical conditions and injuries and for wellness maintenance.”

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Using fancy paper, designs and colors on your resume makes you look old fashioned. 

THE FIX: Put more effort on scoring high for online application systems (which are used by the vast majority of employers) than on making your resume look pretty. You will score high on online application systems if you include the skills, job titles and job duties that match the job.

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Showing up in person to submit your resume makes the employer think you don’t know how to use a computer to apply for jobs.

THE FIX: Apply online as instructed and THEN drop off your resume and cover letter. Indicate in your cover letter that the resume is a duplicate because you already applied for the job online, but that you were so interested in the position; you wanted to stop by in person.

ALTERNATE FIX: Don't show up ... it creeps some companies out! Instead, send a targeted message to your probable boss (the hiring manager) and let him/her know that you applied online as instructed, but were so well matched to the job that you wanted to reach out directly. Explain why you are the best candidate. 

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Saying that you will move to another city if they hire you doesn’t work. Employers don’t trust that you will actually make the move and don’t want to pay for relocation.

THE FIX: Use that target city/name on your resume rather than your own city and then when interview time comes, either request a Skype interview or hustle your rear end to the city for the interview. Get them to like you first and then let them know that you will be moving for the job.

ALTERNATIVE FIX: Put the date that you will be moving to the city. Example: “Austin, TX as of 10/15/2017” (even if you don’t actually know the exact date that you will be moving).

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Employers won’t hire you because of your taste in fashion or cologne.

THE FIX: Wear something business appropriate, but bland so that nothing in your attire stands out to turn off the interviewer. I’ve known people who didn’t get hired because they wore: 1) a bow tie, 2) gold nail polish, 3) a too-cutesy barrette, 4) a scary shade of red lipstick, 5) pantyhose that looked “too nude” (the interviewer thought she was bare-legged), 6) strong-smelling aftershave … I could go on and on with examples … but the bottom line: Tone it down!

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Interviewers are turned off by your mannerisms. I’ve heard of people being rejected because they: 1) constantly cleared their throat or made sniffing noises, 2) blinked excessively, 3) invaded the interviewer’s personal space by leaning in too close, 4) had a weak, wet handshake, 5) repeated “ums” or certain words way too many times. 6) either continually stared too intently at the interviewer’s eyes or never made eye contact (either is distracting).

THE FIX: If you notice that interviewers lean back away from you, stop making eye contact, or yawn, fidget, look bored, or show signs of irritation, STOP talking or doing a mannerism that you’ve ascertained is annoying. Ask trusted friends if you have mannerisms that are off-putting and then work to correct the problem for future interviews.

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