As of: March 10, 2024, 2:00 p.m
By: Laura Hindelang
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After you submit your application, you receive a rejection shortly afterwards?
This doesn't have to be your fault.
Other causes are often crucial.
“We thank you for your interest in our company.
Unfortunately, we have to inform you that…” – if an email begins with these standardized sentences, it is almost certainly a job rejection.
In most cases there are no more than a few phrases to be found in the reply letters.
Reasons for cancellation are almost never given.
The disappointment is particularly high when the rejection arrives in your inbox just a few hours or even minutes after sending the application.
The most common reasons for rejection after application
Applicants' desire to provide individual reasons is strong, as a
study by the software company softgarden
has shown.
73 percent of the 1,130 respondents said that they would like understandable explanations for a rejection.
However, only 22 percent were able to find these in the letters from HR managers.
This is primarily due to reasons of legal certainty, according to the study.
HR expert, lecturer and author Diana Roth explained to the
ArbeitsABC
portal that the real reasons often fall under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG).
In order not to put themselves in a difficult legal situation, companies keep a low profile.
A rejection after applying can have a demotivating effect.
But often it's not your fault.
© Zoonar/Imago
However, a rejection can also have other, often banal, reasons over which the applicant has little or no influence.
The ArbeitsABC
portal and
the most common reasons why HR managers decide to reject a job are listed
summarized the job platform
Kununu
.
1. Too little professional experience
This particularly affects students who have just completed their degree and want to start their professional life.
Theoretically, all professional qualifications are available – the only thing missing is professional experience.
A certain amount of practice is very important to many employers.
For some companies, it is one of the basic requirements that applicants must meet.
Unfortunately, you cannot influence this.
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However, you shouldn't be discouraged by your lack of professional experience.
On the one hand, there are always companies that hire candidates with little practical experience.
On the other hand, there is a lack of qualified specialists, which is why companies are willing to give young professionals a chance.
2. Wrong salary expectations
In Austria it is legally obligatory to state a minimum salary in job advertisements, informs the job platform
Kununu
.
This allows applicants to easily see whether the amount specified matches their own expectations.
This is not the case in Germany.
Research into the usual salaries in the industry is required here.
In this way, you can find an amount that is suitable for the position and can be reasonably justified if you have to state your salary expectations in the application.
A salary expectation that is too low and does not match your qualifications could also cause HR managers to reject the application.
For those responsible, it could appear that the candidate is either selling themselves below their worth or is not confident enough to take on the job, explains the
ArbeitsABC
portal .
3. Incorrect or incomplete application
An annoying mistake that could have been avoided in most cases.
Human resources departments, especially in larger companies, have to deal with a large number of applications.
HR managers often decide within a few seconds whether the candidate is suitable for an interview.
Factors such as accuracy or completeness determine whether the documents are read through more carefully or sorted out straight away.
This can be the reason for a very quick rejection.
An elementary application tip: After creating the application documents, it is helpful to have several people proofread them.
Friends and family can not only give feedback, but also point out careless errors or missing documents.
4. Bad timing
Sometimes the job advertisement doesn't make it clear how long the position has been open.
The application process may already be very advanced when you submit your documents.
If the company is about to sign a contract with another candidate, it is likely that your application will no longer be considered.
The wrong timing is one of the most common reasons for rejection, especially for unsolicited applications.
For example, if the company has just filled a few positions, a rejection might land in your email inbox after a short time.
It's annoying that you're often just a few days late, but the rejection has nothing to do with you or your application.
You may even have been an ideal fit for the position.
So don't give up and keep applying for suitable positions.
Even after the interview - even if it went very well - a rejection can still follow.
You also have little control over some of the key reasons for rejection after the interview.
If you would like clarity about the background, you can contact the company.
However, it is questionable whether the HR managers will provide a detailed answer.