Recruiters have their own key words to warn you about things they can’t admit. Let me share it with you.
The company is picky. This means that the company isn’t based in reality, and whats to believe things that other people are telling them isn’t true.
You might have a chance if you reformat your resume. This means that the company is picky and they aren’t going to choose you.
You need to tell us the wage you want. They do this even though they know the NY law says that companies have to give a range. I remind them of this and they share the range.
You need to have X and its non negotiable. X wasn’t listed on my resume. Why do you think some random person would have it? I had one recruiter tell me that this ask was unreasonable when I told him that I had never heard of that certification before. He said he couldn’t find anyone who had it.
You don’t have enough experience for this job. My LinkedIn profile showed that. Why did we have to send my resume over and have a conversation to conclude that? If you don’t think the candidate has enough experience then they don’t.
You have too much experience for this job. They are afraid you will be bored and might go to another employer who offers more.
You could do the job, but you don’t have the right culture fit. It means they think culture is a static thing, and not made of up differing POV.
You could do the job but you don’t have a degree. It means that they believe someone who forgets what they have perhaps learned is more valuable. Great, good luck.
You could do the job but you live too far away. Who decides what is right for me? I do. Don’t bother telling them you love driving because they don’t care.
You could do the job but we are looking for an older/younger/taller/shorter person. I have been told all of these things. Ok then. If a company values looks more then capacity good luck.
You could do the job but there is something about you I don’t like. I ask what could I answer and he doesn’t give me an answer. Ok. It doesn’t matter if you are willing, capable and perfect, you can still be rejected for factors you can’t control and the interviewer can’t articulate.
Getting a job isn’t about you, it is about the person hiring you and the needs of the company. Don’t take anything personally.