Why do jobs reject people?

If you really want to know, you could ask the hiring manager if they have any feedback for you.

If they say it's a lack of experience, point out that it's an entry-level job, which generally require no experience and walk, hang up whatever. Nicely.

Alot of hiring is 'gut' which does allow for subconscious bias, like you remind them of that nephew who still lives at home and plays video games in the basement. But really, on a less sinister note, if I am hiring, I am looking for fit. Do they seem agreeable? Will they have an attitude problem? How much personal information comes up in the interview? How do they talk about what experience they have?

I will never foget back in 1975 when my fiance at the time had just graduated from the university with a computer science degree....but a really crappy GPA. I was getting A's in most of my classes (except for calculus) & I asked him why he was getting such lousy grades is such easy classes.....use those to boost up your GPA.....his comment was that he felt he was smarter than those professors & didn't want to waste his time because the classes were a waste of his time.......ATTITUDE ISSUES!!!!

So he graduated with a GPA that was around a 2.25. He was so arrogant that he believed that the bank he had been working for OWED him a programming position because he had been working for them for his last few years in college (part time).

He went to the interview & they didn't want him because his GPA was not at least a 3.0.....he got so angry that he quit looking for any other work. I realized exactly why they didn't want him.....shoot if he wouldn't do work in classes that he didn't like or when he thought he was too good or too smart to do that lowly work......what made them think that he wouldn't feel the same way about tasks that he was given to do at work?

He had this arrogant attitude that because he had a high IQ that he was smart & wasn't going to waste his time doing trivial work.......in reality....this attitude did haunt him throughout his engineering career & he was forever jumping from one company to another before they fired him & they he was always complaning that he wasn't given promotions that he felt he deserved.....but his performance wasn't at the level that was required for the promotion. I was also an engineer & worked in the same company for many years & also knew others who worked with him.

There was so much of what went on in his life that he "JUST DIDN"T GET" & refused to listen to anything that anyone had to tell him.

This was just one example of why a job rejected based on GPA....& I truly understood why they did especially in the case of the guy who ended up being my H for 33 years before I finally left. I saw it at the beginning, I just didn't totally understood what I saw at the time even though there were red flags waving.

I needed a part time job a while back. Something not academic. I didn't quite know what I could do... If I put my academic work experience on my CV then that seemed to put people off... But I didn't have anything else to put on it. I even printed off a one page CV and took it around the city personally. Looking for anything... Post-shops... Retail... Coffee shops...

Eventually I got pretty desperate and pretty much begged for a job in functions. I was living in this residential hall that had a proper functions thing attached to it... People did room bookings for conferences and reunions and weddings and the like... They really didn't want to give me a job... They eventually agreed to trial me (for free!!!) because I begged them... And then (at the end of the shift) they said 'don't be silly' about my not being paid and they asked me to work 2 shifts the following week...

Turned out that the manager didn't think I'd be any good at it because I struck her as shy and she typically looked for gregarious. But the thing is... You actually don't have to be super-gregarious to work functions... If you are quick and polite etc then people will actually appreciate that well enough... It really is just about getting your foot in the door so people get the opportunity to see what you can do.

It really is next to impossible to get your foot in the door... It really is a matter of being persistent. Offering to work for free to get the experience (so you can put it on your CV and ask them for a reference). Typically... There is some legal thing so they will actually have to pay you, I think... But it shows willingness to go the extra mile... Which plenty of people will not do...

You could ask them for feedback--many hiring managers are willing to do this, just be prepared to graciously accept what they say even if you don't agree.

That being said, I worked at Corporate for the company you mention --6 yrs no less.
They have a very bizarre culture that trickles down to the store level. It is hard to define but when I was there, it reminded me of The Stepford Wives. Everything seems perfect but there is a vibe that you must conform --things aren't so rosy under the surface.

You can read one person's experience here that seems similar to mine. And I loved my job. Loved. Yet the culture was still creepy. They hire for a "type" not necessarily looking at your skills as an individual.

Target Headquarters "In Desperate Need of Help," Says Employee

It is a good exercise to question what may have or have not done. In many cases, trust me, it isn't always you!!

Interesting inside information to the workings of Target.....not a company I would want to work for.

I didn't know this about Target. All that when you fill out a GRUELING online application and personality test, taking over an HOUR. If you're not actually doing that much work and just being the Energizer Bunny, then what's the point of all that?

Good thing they told me to kiss off (in an automated e-mail).

I have to admit I think they have good sales & prices on stuff, so I do stock up on some things from there now & then.

Let me clarify--CORPORATE has coffee meetings and little real work all day long. The store people work very very very hard.

The stores bear the brunt of bad HQ decisions. Store people level people are usually pretty nice.

However, I still believe at all levels they hire for young, beautiful, and perky.

I forgot to add that even though is the corporate office, that office sets the tone for companies, for the most part. I'm sure that mindset may (or may not, hopefully) trickle down to the store management, more or less (hopefully less).

I've noticed people at Target seem to be under 30 and perky, sociable, and energetic. And they ask on their application if you're over 40 too......

I believe I was laid off due to age. My dept was running a profit.