by Ella Shorthouse, career guide
I read the job description, and I knew it was for me. I could do great at this job. I took the time to answer all the questions in the online application, uploaded my resume, and even filled out my resume information again in the application. But it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes before I had a rejection in my email! I felt like the system was rigged.
I understand the frustration, but there is no nationwide hiring conspiracy. Here are three common reasons for instant and nearly-instant rejections:
3. Knockout Questions
The most common cause for an instant rejection is knockout questions. These are questions that come with the application about your qualifications. Knockout questions are real questions. They have been used for filtering job applications since job applications have been online, and they have nothing to do with AI.
Knockout questions look like this:
“Do you have at least a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering?”
“How many years of work experience do you have in project management?”
“Do you have a COMPTIA C++ certificate?”
“Do you have at least a Secret security clearance?”
Many employers, especially government employers and those that accept certain government contracts, are required to only hire people who meet certain minimum requirements for their open jobs. An instant rejection from a knockout question in these situations can be frustrating, but it also avoids you keeping your hopes up about a job the employer legally couldn’t hire you for.
However, these other common application questions are not knockout questions, and it is illegal for them to be used as part of deciding who hire or not hire:
“What is your race/ethnicity?”
“What is your gender?”
“Are you a protected veteran?”
“Do you have a disability?”
These questions about your identity or demographics are required to be kept separate from your application; your answers to them should have nothing to do with the result of your application in any way.
- The Job is Closed
Unfortunately, sometimes job listings remain online even after they are no longer accepting applications. Usually this situation is not true for long, but it can happen for long enough that you could still apply. For this reason, I always recommend trying to apply for jobs in the first few days after they are posted when possible.
- The Recruiter is Highly Efficient
If the recruiter or recruiting coordinator for the position you applied to is currently reviewing applications when you apply, or they see your application come through due to a notification, they may review it right away. A quick rejection does not necessarily mean that no one reviewed your application. Many companies require that every application is reviewed by a human.
A recruiter reviewing your application and rejecting it shortly after you apply doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t be successful in the type of role you applied for, either. This could happen because of previous interviews or conversations with the hiring manager revealed more information about the type of candidate the company is looking for that you couldn’t have known. The recruiter is also aware of the other applications they have received and how those compare to the job requirements.
If you are frequently rejected for positions that you know you would succeed in, your resume and other application materials are not doing the heavy lifting they could be doing in demonstrating your skills, experience, and talent. Schedule a consultation with Career Health Workshop, look through free resources in the Stuff We Love section to improve your results, or subscribe to the blog using the box below.