When you've done the work and still no joy

You've done the work. Your CV is super schmick. You've updated your LinkedIn profile, checked the job requirements and put together an application you're happy with.

Then nothing happens.

Three weeks later, an email arrives. Thanks for applying, but you've been unsuccessful. By then you've already moved on. In fact, this might be the fifth rejection email you've received.

So why is that? You've followed all the rules of engagement and still no joy.

There are several possible reasons. Research can help us understand the barriers, although it cannot tell us why a particular employer rejected a particular application.

A crowded field

SEEK's August 2026 Employment Report found applications per job advertisement were back at peak levels, 1.7% higher than a year earlier. The application figures refer to July because SEEK reports them a month behind.

That is evidence of strong competition across the platform. It does not tell us how many suitable applicants applied for your role, but it helps explain why a good application can still face a crowded field.

You can meet the requirements and still miss out

Australian Public Service guidance requires selection panels to compare applicants against the work the role actually requires. Meeting the requirements is part of that process; the panel also considers how your evidence compares with other candidates.

My reading of this is that you can be capable of doing the job and still miss out. More qualifications or more years of experience do not automatically settle the comparison.

Can you have too much experience?

Sometimes employers make assumptions about highly experienced applicants. Will they stay? Do they really want this role? Will they move on as soon as something else comes along?

In four experimental studies involving hiring managers, researchers found highly capable candidates could be penalised because managers assumed they would be less committed and have more job options.

Australian research points to a similar concern. The 2025 Australian HR Institute and Australian Human Rights Commission survey identified concerns about high salary expectations and too much experience as barriers to hiring older workers.

But the evidence is mixed. A separate field experiment found master's graduates applying for jobs requiring a bachelor's degree received 19% more direct interview invitations than bachelor's graduates.

So being overqualified can create a barrier in some circumstances. It is not a reliable explanation for every rejection.

Age bias is real

The 2025 AHRI and Australian Human Rights Commission survey found 18% of responding HR professionals were not open to hiring people aged 65 and over at all.

Only 28% reported being open to hiring that age group to a large extent, compared with 80% for applicants aged 25 to 34.

These figures describe reported employer attitudes. They are not rejection rates. Even so, they provide Australian evidence that age barriers exist.

It is reasonable to acknowledge those barriers. A generic rejection email, however, does not establish whether age played a part in your application.

Why the long wait?

Recruitment can involve several stages. In the Australian Public Service, these can include comparative assessments, referee checks, a selection report and a decision by the authorised delegate.

Those steps offer possible explanations for a delay. An email arriving three weeks later does not tell you when the decision was made, where you ranked or how closely your application was considered.

Where does resilience come into it?

The difficult part is the uncertainty. You have put time and effort into an application, but the reply often tells you very little you can use.

There may be something to improve. There may also be competition, assumptions or barriers beyond your control. Without useful feedback, we cannot confidently separate those explanations.

That is where I want to take this conversation next: how do we stay focused and resilient when we've done the work and still no joy?

Barrett Career Brand helps people make a clear, honest case for their experience across their CV and LinkedIn profile. Good preparation matters, even when it cannot guarantee the outcome.

Sources

• SEEK Employment Report, August 2026
• AHRI: Older and Younger Workers Report, July 2025
• Galperin and colleagues: Too Good to Hire? Capability and Inferences about Commitment in Labor Markets, 2020
• Verhaest and colleagues: Do Employers Prefer Overqualified Graduates? A Field Experiment, 2018
• Australian Public Service Commission: Merit based decisions for selection panels
• Australian Public Service Commission: Referee checks
• Australian Public Service Commission: Guide on Merit, 2026