It makes no sense. You met all the criteria but received an almost instant rejection for a perfect job. What is going on and who is to blame?
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Job application response – a truly thorny issue.
Recruiters and hiring managers struggle with the volume of applications they receive and jobseekers are left wondering if their application was ever even properly considered.
Key Takeaways
Everyone wants to hear back from recruiters and companies when they apply for a job, but they typically receive hundreds of applicants for each job advertised.
How can they possibly contact everyone?
So, somethings got to give…
Realistically, there are only 2 real choices:
- Don’t respond;
- Send an automated response.
Let's look at how both play out.
Getting no response to a job application - you hate it
The simple option, and in my opinion the lazy and unprofessional one, that many recruiters and companies choose is the generic ‘don’t expect to hear back from us’ paragraph on a job ad stating "only shortlisted candidates will be notified."
This is partly responsible for the fact that 55% of job seekers are rarely or never kept informed about their application status after completing an application.
Companies and recruiters often choose this option because it means they can ‘legitimately’ not send any response to the majority of applicants and, understandably, people hate this.
This gives job seekers no idea whether a position they apply for is progressing so they are forced into a state of job search limbo.
And this is particularly hard to accept if you truly feel that you are a perfect fit for a job.
You wonder if they ever received your application at all?
And should you reapply just in case they haven't?
Clearly jobseekers are not happy with this but, when recruiters and companies go for option two and send an automated reply, they are often just as unhappy.
Receiving an automated response - sometimes you hate that more
Receiving an automated, impersonal rejection message is one of the most common complaints I hear from job seekers - especially when they feel they are a great fit for a job.
Here are a couple of examples I received last week after I sent automated responses to a position I am currently recruiting for.
Amanda
Thank you for your message but I just applied today so I’m struggling to see how you can justify my rejection when you obviously haven’t even looked at my resume.
If you had you would have seen that I meet all the criteria you asked for and more.
Please reply back and tell me exactly why I have not been considered for this role.
Good afternoon Amanda
I am responding to the message you sent to me on x regarding my apparent unsuitably for the x role at x.
Given that I have an MBA and 25 years experience, I am perplexed by your decision.
Please provide me by return the contact number of the HR Manager at x who will have a better understanding of the position and recognise the value I can bring to the company.
Ouch!
Truthfully, messages like these do hurt because I do respect the time and effort people spend when they submit an application.
I know that these are real people with real hopes and fears, with real bills to pay and loved ones to look after.
But, despite the occasional 'hate mail,' I have no choice but to use automation once a decision is made given the sheer volume of response I receive for every position I advertise.
Unless of course I choose not to respond at all but I am not comfortable with that option.
The very real problem here is that people don't fully trust a recruitment process when they get that automated response.
You probably feel this way too because you are reading this.
So, if you receive no response or an automated message, how can you know what’s really going on between submission and rejection when you apply for that perfect job?
What are the reasons for quick rejections?
And can you ever really know if your application was even considered?
As a hands-on recruiter, here is the inside story so you can figure out why it's happening to you.
Some of these you can remedy, others not.
Let’s dive in.
10 reasons why you get rejected for a perfect job
1. You honestly may not actually be a great fit for the role
Not what you want to hear I know - but it might be true.
Go back to the job advertisement and take a long hard look at the role and the requirements.
Do you really have everything they are looking for?
Unfortunately, the vast majority of applications I receive when I post a job on SEEK are from candidates who are unqualified.
And when I say ‘unqualified’ I mean they meet none or very few of the requirements from the job ad.
Due to AI and ‘quick apply’ submission buttons, many people apply without fully reading the whole advert.
For example, I am currently recruiting for a Project Manager.
The job ad explicitly states that candidates need:
- A degree in civil engineering
- A minimum of five years’ experience on civil road and bridge projects
- To be based in a certain location to have local knowledge
Most applications I have received have no degree or if they do it's from a different discipline, have never set foot on a civil project, or are currently based overseas.
But they are Project Managers. So, they apply.
As frustrated as I am having to wade through this type of response, I also do get it. It’s tempting to take the ‘volume approach’ and just click and apply for everything, but that could be the reason why you are getting such a quick rejection.
Are you truly reading the whole job ad before you hit submit?
Recruiters will either not respond at all or you will receive an automated message saying you have been unsuccessful.
So, just to be clear, it is a human, not the system making the quick decision in this case.
However, many recruiters and companies use their ATS or Applicant Tracking System to screen incoming candidates automatically by finding key words and experience in their applications.
If it doesn’t find what it's looking for, you may just be rejected immediately.
In these cases, it is the system and not a person responding to you.
In other words, you are right that no human has even looked at your application.
Which brings us to the second reason.
2. Your resume may be letting you down
If you feel you have been rejected for a perfect job and, after going back and analysing the requirements, you still truly believe you are a great fit, then it is more than likely that your resume doesn’t show that you are a true fit for the role.
In other words, it's not enough for you to know it, your resume needs to show it.
There are two parts to this.
First it needs to be ATS friendly to get through the system.
Avoid elaborate template designs with boxes and graphs because they can be hard to scan which means keywords may not be picked up - resulting in you being assessed as a low match for a role.
This can lead to the ATS rejecting you immediately.
Second, the content within your resume needs to match your capabilities and sell you to recruiters and hiring managers.
Your resume profile needs to provide a strong introduction to you and what you can offer, just like the blurb of a book.
Get them hooked, and they will read on.
In addition, are you taking the time to target your resume for each application?
You may know you are a perfect match for a particular role but if you are sending out a generic bland resume to everyone, and not a targeted one telling recruiters why you specifically fit, you may be rejected.
You can’t wait until the interview to convince them, because you are not going to have one.
3. Your cover letter may be letting you down
Are you guilty of any of these?
When you are asked to supply a cover letter you decline - which means an ATS could reject you immediately.
You submit cover letters with content that isn't targeted to the roles you apply for - so they do nothing to convince the recruiter you are a specific match.
Can you not be bothered to take the time to edit each cover letter and just press send – so often it refers to a different company, a different position, or is addressed to a different recruiter?
All of these can effectively screen yourself out at the beginning and trigger that rejection email form a human or a system.
But sometimes it's not about you and your application and all about things you can’t control.
Let’s take a look at these.
4. The competition is fierce
Sometimes, you may truly be an excellent match for a role, but so are hundreds of other candidates.
When competition is high, even being a near-perfect fit doesn’t guarantee success.
Many industries, such as tech, finance, and marketing, attract thousands of unqualified applicants but also hundreds of highly qualified candidates for every role they post.
With stats like that, although you may make a shortlist, so could 40 other people.
At the end of the day, the company will choose someone who had just a little extra - perhaps a specific industry background, a niche skill, or an internal referral.
5. They may have unrealistic expectations
Some hiring managers will rigidly hold out for the perfect candidate.
The all singing, all dancing unicorn that is a 100% fit.
In very rare circumstances this happens but, in reality, a successful candidate will likely be around a 75 – 85% match.
For example, a couple of years ago I was asked to recruit a Senior Software Engineer.
They had to be fluent in three programming languages, and have 10+ years of experience in leadership roles.
However, they were only willing to pay a mid-level salary.
I told them it was unrealistic, but they kept dismissing excellent candidates because they didn’t tick every single box.
That meant I had to send rejection after rejection to near perfect candidates that either didn't have all the experience listed or wanted too much money.
Not great for the recruiter or the candidate when this happens, but sometimes a wish list and budget just doesn't balance.
6. It could just be bad timing
Recruiters work to ‘fill quotas’.
This means they need to fill a role as quickly as possible and impose cut offs for applications.
Once they have advertised, screened, shortlisted, submitted candidates, and arranged interviews, they can be reluctant to add others because they are now working on multiple other positions to get them to that stage.
So, if you are a late applicant, you may indeed be a perfect match but end up being rejected because they already have enough of a pool to choose from.
There isn’t much you can do about this apart from ensuring you apply quickly when you see a role.
7. There is an internal Candidate
You may get rejected for a perfect role because it actually doesn’t exist.
Many companies are legally required to advertise a job, even though they already have an internal candidate lined up for the role.
It’s frustrating, but it happens all the time.
Again, nothing you can do about that.
8. It's a fake job post
Some job ads are pure fiction.
The tell-tale signs are vague job descriptions with no clear responsibilities.
The same repetitive listings from a recruiter month after month.
Or a job that never actually closes.
There are many reasons why this happens.
Sometimes recruiters want to build their database of candidates for the future, so they post roles that don’t exist.
Some companies may want to look busy and appear as if they are growing when they aren’t hiring at all.
Other times it is a little more sinister.
The job is fake and there is a scam involved.
This is yet another reason why, although you may be a perfect match, you will still get a rejection.
9. The position is filled but not closed
The job may have already been filled, but the company hasn’t taken the post down yet.
This may be because they are waiting for the candidate to sign the contract.
Or, if they have signed, there may be a long notice period for them to serve so they are hedging their bets in case the chosen candidate backs out last minute.
Whatever their reason, the result is the same.
If you apply during this stage, however perfect you are for the role, you’ll likely get a rejection because you are just a back up or Plan B.
10. The recruiter or company is incompetent
Yes, you may indeed be right.
You may have fallen through the cracks due to inexperience, lack of organisation, or sheer laziness.
Recruiters have a bad reputation and sometimes it is warranted – just not always.
Try to keep an open mind.
FAQ
If it’s a role you genuinely cared about, a short, professional follow-up is a good idea. Done in the right way it can result in feedback, future opportunities, or even reconsideration. Just don’t chase silence repeatedly. Only send the one follow up and then move on.
You need to go beyond matching criteria. Clear achievements, specific outcomes, and tailoring your story to the role are what separate you from a sea of “qualified” candidates.
Yes if you meet the essential requirements asked for but not the desirables. No if you don't match their core requirements.
Look at how they communicate, how quickly they move, and how transparent they are. A poor candidate experience is often a preview of what it’s like to work there but try to keep an open mind.There are many reasons why you may have received an initial rejection. Follow up once in a professional manner and keep your other applications going.
Conclusion
I know it's hard if you feel you have missed out on that one perfect job.
But remember, just like the 100% perfect candidate is a myth, so is the 100% perfect job.
Who knows, if you had gone further in the process, you may have found out it wasn’t so great after all.
Channel your frustration into what you can control.
Don't burn bridges.
Respond in a courteous, professional manner because they may come back to you if their first choice let's them down or if they have another suitable opening in their company.
Carefully read future job ads before applying, write a great resume and target applications before hitting that submit button.
As for the things you can’t control – fierce competition, unrealistic expectations, bad timing, internal candidates, fake and filled jobs, and crappy companies and recruiters – you just have to move on.
However perfect one role seems, never stop applying for others and keep the momentum going because it will hurt a lot less if you get rejected.
