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You perfected your resume, completed a top-tier cover letter, and were brought in for the interview – which you aced. Yet, after all that – you didn’t get hired. You were the “perfect” candidate, and everything went well…so what went wrong?

Why would an employer pass over a “perfect” candidate?

Despite an outward appearance of a perfect match, some differing factors can impact a hiring decision. Some reasons employers may reject qualified candidates include:

They’re not a culture fit. You may have an excellent background and education, and maybe you answered all the interview questions perfectly. But, if you won’t fit in with their team, you might not be the right fit for their organization. If you’re a button-down, corporate stickler, but you’re interviewing with a laid back, casual office, you might not be right for their office. There’s no science to it; sometimes there just isn’t a match.

The competition was that good. In today’s job market, competition is fierce. And although you may be the “perfect” candidate on paper and in the interview, there may be another candidate who is more “perfect.” It may be hard to believe, and it’s definitely hard to swallow, but as good a candidate as you are, there may be someone who is simply better. There is no way that you can combat this; you can simply stay focused and positive, and try to find a match elsewhere.

Internal factors. Not all companies divulge this information, but internal factors can impact the hiring process – at any stage during the process. So, whether upper management decided to fill the position internally, or whether budgetary concerns warranted a hiring freeze, the decision to pass on hiring you may have nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them.

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