7 signs you're not getting the job (2023)

One of the biggest pitfalls for a job seeker is the natural tendency to slow down in their job search when a particular job opportunity looks promising. Almost every job seeker falls victim to this mistake at least once.

The moment it seems likely that you will be offered a job, you can let your job search activity wane. You might start trusting the job offer you're hoping for, thinking it's pretty much a given.

If the job offer you were hoping for didn't work out, you've wasted your time. You need to get your job search engine working again. Even worse, after chasing a job offer that didn't come to fruition—or chasing it long enough to get a job offer that doesn't meet your needs, your Mojo fuel tank will run out.

Because of this, job seekers despair and take bad job offers. They never get their job search engine running at full speed, and at the slightest hint of good news, they keep their engines idling. Then they run out of money and have to take every bad job offer they get.

Don't do that!

It's easy to turn down a job offer or walk away from a "meh" opportunity when you've got a lot of other irons in the fire.

Therefore, your first commitment when looking for a job is to constantly explore and respond to new opportunities. Don't slow down your job search until the ink on your signed offer letter is dry!

It's easy to miss signals during your job search that tell you, "You're not going to get this job" or "You won't want this job if you get it."

How many job seekers have returned to companies 3, 4, 5 times to meet more people and answer more questions, all the while feeling in the pit of their stomach that maybe there wasn't a legitimate job - and then realizing that's right?

If there's a reason to trust your gut, the job search is it. Your instincts have been honed over millions of years. Listen to your instincts!

Here are seven casual statements, comments, and comments you'll hear from recruiters and hiring managers during your job search. They all mean the same thing: "Stay away from this opportunity and invest your valuable time in other options!"

SevenSigns that you won't get the job

You are still on the run

Give up your job search if they tell you, "You're still running for the job."

Why would they say you're still running? It's like coming home from a nice second date with a new friend or beauty and getting a text message from him or her saying, "I want to introduce you to my friend Chris! You two would make a cute couple.

"You're still running" is never a sign that you're a top candidate for a job - and why would you want to stay if you're not a top candidate?

We love you - we just want to see more applicants

When you hear, "We love you - we just want to see other candidates!" that's your cue to quit.

You interviewed me and liked me enough to keep me posted on your research progress. Now you want to invite other candidates to compare with me in hopes of saving money? Forget!

You cannot agree to sit on the shelf and wait while an employer scour the market to see if there is someone with all your talents for half the salary. Tell them to shut up or shut up or this employer will never value you. Why should they value you if you don't value yourself?

Here's what to saywhen you hear "We just want to see other candidates!"

We are thinking of combining it with another position

Oh please - you've created a job description, posted it, looked at resumes, interviewed candidates and spent a lot of time - and now you're thinking about combining the job posting with another one to get twice as much work as the person you're set for?

This is a big red flag for any job seeker. How did they get a manager's approval for a position if the new hire didn't come with a big, expensive problem up front?

Businesses can get greedy. Managers might start thinking about saving a few pennies when they're about to make an offer, especially when you're presenting yourself as the nicest, hardest-working job seeker the world has ever seen.

Find your voice and your backbone and set boundaries now. If you don't set them now, forget about setting limits once you've got the work done!

We are putting the position on hold

How many job seekers hear this disability statement every day? Run away and use your time and energy to pursue opportunities with managers who know what they are doing.

Job specification sent back to HR for reset

This statement could mean, "We can tell you're very capable, so let's try to squeeze another six or seven responsibilities into the job description," or something more hopeful, like "I can't tell you the whole story right now, but I'm trying to get approval from Human Resources to raise the starting salary enough that I can pay someone as qualified as you."

You might be flattered when a recruiter or hiring manager tells you they're trying to redefine and elevate work, but don't be flattered.

Managers know what they need long before they start interviewing. Your manager should be fighting for the right salary level when defining the role - not months later.

If your manager manages to improve the position to a higher salary level, expect to move a stone uphill every time you ask for a raise, no matter how much you deserve it.

If your manager admits to you that he is waiting for the wheels of bureaucracy to turn and that his request to step up work may still be denied by a faceless committee of drones, flee! This is not an organization that can raise its flame.

Awaiting budget approval

If you hear that the job you're pursuing is waiting for some kind of approval to go ahead, send a quick email message to say, as politely as possible, "Hire someone else" and get out of the pipeline.

Why would they interview people before the position was approved? They would only do that if they believed there were a dozen qualified job seekers out there - and unfortunately, many employers do.

An internal candidate emerged

A famous rejection that only happens after you've invested countless brain and heart cells into a job opportunity is the message, "An internal candidate has come forward." Why didn't they know about the internal candidate before wasting so much time?

Get the hell out of these unworthy people and don't look back. The world is big. There are many employers who won't see your brilliance - and you just need one who will!