You’re Qualified—So Why Aren’t You Getting Hired? Tips from a Software Recruiter

It's 2026 and we thought that those dark days of constant layoffs stretching back to 2020 (travel industry I'm looking at you) were over.

But the reality is layoffs are still happening and impacting industries differently. From automation, to AI investment, some teams are shrinking while others growing. But the truth is interviewing is more competitive than ever.

From a software recruiters perspective, I see this first-hand everyday. And understand the frustration in the market: you're qualified, getting interviews... So why aren't you getting hired?

800+ applications submitted, 80 interviews conducted and still no offer. Some things are out of our control; the thing is, the competition is high. So what can you control? How you come across in interviews.

Experience isn't enough, you need to master the interview process and I'm here to help you how.

In a busy corporate office, a woman dressed in a suit sits as she awaits her interview.

What You Can Do to Maximise Your Chances

In this blog, I’ll walk you through what you can do to maximise your chances of getting an offer—not just any offer, but one you actually want.

Let’s start with the obvious (but often overlooked):

Your CV

Yes, it sounds basic.

But after reviewing thousands of CVs, I can tell you your CV matters more than you think.

Before you ever speak to a hiring manager, your CV is already communicating:

• Your value

• Your way of thinking

• Your level of impact

  
  

What makes a strong CV besides relevant dates to jobs, and no typos? Relevant, measurable data

No matter the role: sales, marketing, engineering, recruitment—data matters.

Here’s the difference:

• “Hired a lot of engineers in my first year”

  vs.

• “In my first year as an in-house recruiter, I hired 80 engineers and reduced time-to-hire by 20%.”

This can be applied to most roles, for example in marketing: Grew foot traffic on the website vs. Improved foot traffic by 35% by delivering X campaigns targeting x audience.

This is where most people get stuck: a strong CV will get you interviews, but it will not get you hired.

Interviewing is a skill, and it takes time, and preparation to get better at them. The problem is most candidates approach interviews as if they're taking a test, a very casual conversation or something they want to "wing" in the moment.

Having worked at some of the top tech companies as a sales recruiter where interviews take multiple interviewing rounds I can tell you this: you must prepare for every single stage of the interview process. Not by memorising answers, or telling the recruiter or hiring manager everything you have done but instead focus on what actually matters for that specific role.

Before we dig deeper, I want you to get the basics right:

1. If the interview is via Zoom/Teams: test everything beforehand. Make sure your mic, audio and connection all work. If something goes wrong during the interviews it could come off as unprepared.

2. Wear appropriate attire: default to smart/casual for most tech roles, for more traditional industries like finance - formal. Know your audience

3. Be in a quiet space: If you are travelling and cannot find a place to properly do your interview, its better that you reschedule than taking it from a noisy cafe.

4. Do not chew gum, or drink during the interview: It can be very distracting, usually the interviewers will give breaks for this if it is a long back to back interview panel.

5. Be on time. Not exactly on time, early.

None of these things will get you the job on their own. But getting them wrong can cost you the opportunity.

Collaborative brainstorming session: a creative team gathers around a desk, engaging with digital designs and notes to share ideas and develop innovative solutions.

Now for the real challenge: the part that gets you hired.

The interviews.

The recruiter screen (where most people lose momentum)

Before you get anywhere near the final stages, you’ll go through a recruiter/HR screen. Most candidates underestimate this step and see it as a "check" of their experience, it's not.

This is where recruiters decide:

• Do you actually match the role?

• Do you communicate clearly?

• Are you aligned on salary, motivation, and expectations?

• Will they move you forward to speak to the hiring manager?

If you don’t pass this stage strongly, you won’t move forward; no matter how good your CV is.

The mistake candidates make during this stage is lack of preparation.

"Tell me about yourself" turns into a long, unfocussed answer. Key points get lost, communication feels unclear; or there are avoidable issues like poor connection or setup.

What a recruiter is looking for

You need to be able to clearly answer:

• What do you do?

• What have you achieved?

• Why are you looking?

• Why this role? Why this company?

• Are you coachable and self-aware?

How can you improve your chances on the recruiter screen? By giving clear, structured answers, and have examples of relevant experience only.

Once you pass this stage…

Now you’re in the real interview process, and this is where most candidates struggle.

Because it’s no longer about what you’ve done—it’s about how you communicate it.

Depending on the company, you may face multiple interview rounds, each designed to evaluate a few key attributes.

According to employer surveys, the top 5 most sought-after competencies are:

1. Critical thinking and problem-solving : Can you analyze a situation and make effective decisions?

2. Teamwork and collaboration: Can you work well with others to achieve results?

3. Professionalism and strong work ethic: Do you consistently demonstrate reliability, accountability, and integrity?

4. Oral and written communication skills: Can you clearly articulate ideas and information?

5. Leadership: Can you take initiative, influence others, and drive results?

(Source: newmanu.edu)

A person in black takes notes in a grid notebook while another gestures in discussion, set against a pink chair and glass table in an office.

How companies test these attributes

Interviewers don’t just ask random questions—they use structured methods to assess these competencies:

1. Behavioral Questions – “Tell me about a time…” questions use your past behaviour as a predictor of future performance. STAR is your friend here.

2. Case Studies / Group Exercises – Real-time collaboration and problem-solving exercises, often used for consulting, product, or management roles.

3. Technical or Work Sample Tests – Hands-on evaluations of your skills, often for engineering, sales, or creative roles.

The structure that changes everything: STAR

If you take one thing from this entire article, let it be this: You need structure.

The most effective and widely used method? And my personal favourite:

The STAR method.

• Situation - Set the context

• Task - What needed to be done

• Action - What you did

• Result - The outcome

STAR Example: Sales Role

Question: “Tell me about a time you exceeded a sales target.”

Weak Answer

“In my previous role, I had a target to hit and I managed to exceed it by working hard and speaking to lots of clients. I was happy with the results.”

Strong Answer

Situation: “In my previous role as an account executive, our team was struggling to close enterprise deals in the healthcare sector, and I was assigned a $1M quota for Q2.”

Task: “My goal was to exceed the quota by at least 20% despite a competitive market and longer sales cycles.”

Action: “I identified key decision-makers at target accounts, created a tailored outreach strategy, and led weekly demos with the prospects. I also collaborated with marketing to run a personalized email campaign to warm leads.”

Result: “I closed $1.2M in deals, exceeding my target by 20%, and two of the new clients generated repeat business within 3 months.”

STAR Example: Sales Role – Coachability

Question: “Can you give an example of a time you received feedback and applied it successfully?”

Weak Answer

“My manager gave me feedback once about my pitch style, and I tried to follow it. I think it helped a little.”

Strong Answer

Situation: “During my first quarter as an account executive, I was struggling to close deals with enterprise clients. My manager observed my pitch style and noticed I was spending too much time on product features instead of client outcomes.”

Task: “I needed to improve my pitching approach to better connect with client priorities and increase my close rate.”

Action: “I took the feedback seriously and asked my manager for coaching sessions. I recorded my calls, practiced tailoring pitches to client pain points, and implemented a new structure where I led with business value rather than features.”

Result: “Within six weeks, my close rate increased by 25%, and I successfully landed three new enterprise clients, all of whom cited the clear value focus as a reason for signing. My manager also recognized my adaptability in my quarterly review.”

When preparing STAR examples about soft skills like coachability, focus on:

1. The feedback received 

2. Your action to improve 

3. The result/impact

STAR Example: Engineering Role – Coachability

Question: “Tell me about a time you received feedback and used it to improve your work.”

Weak Answer

“My manager told me to improve my code reviews, so I tried to do better. I think it helped.”

Strong Answer

Situation: “While working as a backend engineer on a critical project, my manager noticed that my code reviews were thorough but often lacked actionable guidance for junior team members, which slowed down the team’s overall velocity.”

Task: “I needed to improve the way I gave feedback to make my reviews more constructive and help the team move faster.”

Action: “I asked my manager for specific examples of what effective feedback looked like, and then I implemented a structured review checklist. I also scheduled short follow-ups with junior engineers to ensure they understood the suggestions and could implement them.”

Result: “Within a month, the team’s code review turnaround time improved by 30%, and junior engineers reported feeling more confident and supported. My manager highlighted the improvement in my next performance review as a key contribution to team efficiency.”

How to prepare your STAR examples without sounding robotic

1. Pick 3–5 strong examples

Choose examples that show your impact, problem-solving, and coachability.

• Sales: hitting targets, improving client relationships, adapting to feedback

• Engineering: solving technical problems, improving processes, learning from mistakes

• Marketing/Product: launching campaigns, improving metrics, iterating based on feedback

• 
  

Having 3–5 solid stories gives you flexibility to answer multiple questions without sounding repetitive.

2. Use the STAR method

Structure every example with:

• Situation – Set the context

• Task – What was your responsibility or goal?

• Action – What you specifically did

• Result – The measurable outcome

This keeps your answers clear, concise, and impactful.

3. Focus on your contribution

It’s easy to fall into “we did this” territory. Interviewers want to know what you did. Highlight

your role, decisions, and initiative.

4. Make it measurable

• Revenue, sales, or quotas

• Time saved or efficiency improvements

• Performance metrics, growth percentages, or user impact

5. Practice, don’t memorise

Practice telling your STAR examples out loud.

• You want to sound natural, confident, and flexible

• Adapt the story depending on the question

• Keep it concise—aim for 1–2 minutes per example

6. Prepare for soft skills too

Coachability, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability. Have at least one STAR example for each soft skill.

Interviews are challenging—but they don’t have to be overwhelming.

Remember:

• Your CV gets you in the door, but it’s your communication in interviews that gets you the offer.

• Recruiter screens are the first filter—clarity, alignment, and preparation matter.

• STAR examples turn your experience into structured, memorable examples.

• Understand what employers are testing and prepare accordingly, from soft skills to technical abilities.

Let's recap with: The Ultimate Interview Preparation Checklist

CV & Application

• ✅ Tailor your CV for the role

• ✅ Include measurable achievements and relevant data

• ✅ Proofread for typos and clarity

Recruiter Screen

• ✅ Clear, concise answers about experience and motivation

• ✅ Test tech setup (Zoom, mic, connection)

• ✅ Be in a quiet space and dress appropriately

• ✅ Be early

Interview Rounds

• ✅ Prepare 3–5 STAR examples relevant to role and soft skills

• ✅ Highlight your contribution with measurable results

• ✅ Adapt stories for different questions

• ✅ Practice communication, collaboration, and coachability

Behaviour & Mindset

• ✅ Show coachability, adaptability, and professionalism

• ✅ Listen carefully and answer concisely

• ✅ Maintain confidence and focus throughout

Interviews are more than a test of experience, they’re a chance to show how you think, act, and deliver results. Nail your CV, master the recruiter screen, structure your STAR examples, and understand the competencies being tested.

Preparation is your secret weapon. Do this consistently, and you’ll walk into interviews with confidence, turning experience into results that get you hired.

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