Rejection can occur for many reasons.  Some of these reasons are simply out of the scope of our control.  If you lack the right experience or appropriate education, then there is little in the immediate present that will effect an outcome different than rejection of your candidacy.  However, there are quite a few factors which can inadvertently facilitate a rejection.  Listed below are a few pervasive activities which will likely precipitate a rejection of your candidacy.  You must work to correct these short comings if you wish to stay in contention for the position applied for.

Bad Attitude - There is a clear distinction between confidence and arrogance.  Find it!  The quickest way to lose your candidacy is offending the Hiring Authority by bragging on your many talents and accomplishments.  Remember, the employer is in the position of power.  They can convey their position any way they choose.  You cannot.  Be confident and communicate that you can meet or exceed their needs.  Do not drum beat your considered opinion, or you may find your position sinking beneath you.

Timid Candidates - Unlike the "Bad Attitude" characteristic is the Candidate who communicates their talent in an unassertive manor.  Don't be shy about expressing why you would be the right person for the job.  If you communicate this way naturally, then an anecdote of a previous surmounted obstacle and how it was triumphed will dramatically help with the interviewer's impression of your persona.  Take note of the Employer's needs.  If you cannot take care of their business, then how could you be considered for the available position?

Lack of Communication Skills - The Employer is wanting to hire you, not your resume.  Although your resume does list qualifications and skills, it is how you communicate the ability to deliver on the promise that will truly help seal the deal.  If you cannot communicate well, then you will likely be a poor team player.

Poor Appearance - Many candidates underestimate the attention which should be paid to their appearance.  In sales, " First impressions are the only impressions".  Your first impressions are made within the first few minutes of any engagement.  The opportunity to make that first impression never returns again.  So, make the most of the opportunity.

Inadequate Research - It is readily evident when a Candidate has not properly researched the company they are interviewing with.  This lack of assertiveness can quickly demonstrate your lack of initiative.  That characteristic does not bode well in any work place.  Know as much as you can about the company, its history, products and services offered, the position you are interviewing for, etc.  Much of this information is available on-line.  You can often times call customer service to acquire additional or little known facts about the company. 

Lack Of Engagement - If you don't ask relevant or poignant questions, then you will communicate a certain level of disinterest.  Apathy will not impress upon the interviewer your sincere interest.  Come to an interview with a list of relevant and engaging questions.  You will leave a positive and lasting impression on the Hiring Authority.

Unprepared For The Interview - Fortune favors the prepared mind.  If you want to get to Carnegie Hall, then you must practice, practice, practice.  Be sure to practice your response to a list of Interview Questions.  Ensure you are prepared to answer the hardest of the lot.  This way, regardless of what is asked, you will deliver an outstanding response.  The great showmen make it look effortless through continued improvement of their presentation.

Inadequate For The Position - Your resume may portray you in a class reserved for the likes of Gandhi or Mother Teresa.  However, this has little meaning if you cannot meet the requirements of the position.  Ensure you impart to the Employer that you can deliver on the needs of the position as you have with past projects.  Explain why this is so.

Poor Salary Negotiations - A classic mistake is to mention salary too soon in the interview process.  This will give the impression that Candidate is only interested in money and not contribution to the success of the company.  When it is appropriate to talk about salary there are two pervasive pitfalls the Candidate must take care in navigating:  asking for too much or too little.  If the Candidate asks for too much, then they could price themselves out of consideration for the available position.  If the Candidate asks for too little, then the Candidate tends to undervalue their position, which will also raise a red flag in the eyes of the interviewer.

Candidates Lacking Focus - If the Candidate is not sure what it is he/she wants or is looking for, then it is likely that the Candidate will leave the position when they do discover what is desired.  This makes the Candidate a liability and can instigate a hands off position from the interviewer.  Job hopping or shopping are also demonstrations of this characteristic.  Go into the interview knowing who you are and what you want.  Otherwise, you will project the impression of a Candidate who is capable of leaving the Employer dangling in the wind.  Additionally, this impression is not what the Candidate would want the Employer to be left with in case he/she is rejected but reapplies later for  another available position.