Six Reasons I Didn’t Get The Job

31/08/2016
Nicole Boltz

Nicole is looking for a job. And everything is conspiring to stop her getting one. Here’s why.

Okay, so I’ve been searching for a job for a while now and it really is not as easy as people seem to think. Quite a lot of the time when it comes to searching for a job, from older members of my family I hear, ‘When I was your age I’d been working for x amount of years’. The job market is not what it once was, demands are higher, jobs are fewer and there’s also more choice and less opportunity, which is strange.

Here is a list of six reasons I have found it difficult to find/been rejected for a job:

1) No Experience

More often than not, when it comes to job interviews, I’ve been caught in what people call ‘a catch 22 situation’. Much of the feedback I get from interviews is basically telling me that while I’m a strong candidate, I lack the experience they’re looking for. Okay, that’s fair enough. But my question to you is: how do you gain experience when no one is willing to give you any?

I’ve applied for several jobs that say ‘no experience necessary, full training provided’, which, to someone with little-to-no experience, sounds great. I go for an interview, everything seems to be going well. Then a few days later I get a call. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful at this point in time, I can accept that. I ask for feedback, to see where I can improve next time around. ‘Well you were a strong candidate and you clearly knew you stuff. However the chosen candidate has more relevant experience’ I’m told. Well hang on a minute, you said no experience was necessary. If you’re looking for someone with some experience then why say ‘no experience necessary’ why not say ‘some/minimal experience required’?

2) My ‘Limitations’

I’ve had people tell me that having a disability/limitation is just an excuse to get out of working. For some, this may be true, but not for me. I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of high functioning autism. I find social/emotional interaction difficult to comprehend. I often find I insult/offend people without intentionally doing so. When I attend interviews I inform potential employers that I have this limitation, not to gain sympathy but to make them aware of my situation. I was offered an interview with a door-to-door sales company.

The employer had found my CV online and contacted me. I did background research into the company in preparation. I decided to attend the interview as at this point I had not had an interview for quite some time and I was feeling desperate. I attended the interview, with another gentleman. We were interviewed together. Before we began the interview, I explained to the potential employer that I have autism. Bare in mind this company is supposedly international, with branches in other countries working with the public. The man doing the interview stated that he had never heard of autism before and implied that perhaps I had made the condition up to gain sympathy. There are over 700,000 adults living in the UK, confirmed to have autism. That’s 1 in 100. It’s pretty common. So tell me how exactly I made up such a condition to gain sympathy?

3) No Personal Transport

Many of the job opportunities that interest me require my own method of transportation. The problem is, I cannot drive. Not because I am unwilling to learn, but because I am physically and mentally incapable of doing so. Learning to drive is a sensory overload my mind can not handle all of the information it is receiving at the same time, thus my mind switches off in a way that is similar to an absence seizure. I have looked into catching trains. However I find the process to be confusing. Which leaves me with expensive taxi rides that I cannot afford or an uncomfortably long bus journey. I have only recently gotten the hang of catching the bus without getting myself very lost.

4) Lack Of Qualifications/Degree

I have noticed one of the key things an employer looks at is your list of qualifications and grades. The majority of employers say it is essential for candidates to have a C grade in english and maths. They also look at your further education record. I did not attend university as I found the course fees expensive. I could have taken a student loan and spend the rest of my life paying off a debt. For what? Recent studies have shown many people who attend university, regret doing so. Though it offers an increase in the potential to gain employment. The combination of no university degree/qualification, my lack of perfect grades and my lack of experience often finds me passed over.

5) No Idea That Certain Jobs Even Exist

When you are in school you are not informed of what jobs there are out there; at least I wasn’t. I had no idea how many careers there were to choose from I had no idea I needed certain qualifications and grades to get a job in later life. I had a basic idea of what career opportunities were out there but not much. No one offered me advice on what career options I had or what grades I needed for that career. There are so many jobs I could have applied for that I can’t because at the time I had no idea they existed thus I don’t have the qualifications needed.

6) People Are Dependant On Me

Now this one doesn’t relate to me personally, but this situation has occurred to people I know. A situation in which a job they were interested in applying for was not suitable due to them having people who are dependant on them. They are parents, carers and guardians to vulnerable people and their work schedules need more flexibility than many employers are prepared to offer.

I know to some people, the list above may just sound like a list of excuses, that is their opinion and I respect it. However there can be no denying that over the years it has become increasingly difficult to gain and maintain long term employment. I am sure there are many other people out there who are in a similar situation to me, with their own frustrations and experiences. Who would perhaps be willing to share? I would love to hear about them.

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If you’re interested in Tomorrow’s People, an organisation that helps young people find work, don’t hesitate to drop them an email or call:

Email Bristol@tomorrows-people.co.uk

Telephone 0117 924 6815

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