What To Do When You Don’t Get The Job
By Kevin Donlin | February 5th, 2008
Should you give up on a company when the job you interviewed for goes to someone else?
No.
Your response to a letter (or phone call) of rejection may get you the job, according to James Adams, a former job-search consultant to the U.S. government, whom I interviewed for one of my books.
Adams counseled a woman who interviewed very well for a job, but still got a letter of rejection after applying. Most people would have torn up the letter and gone on to other things.
But, instead, she wrote a gracious reply, thanking the company for their time and reaffirming her strong desire to work for them.
The top contender for the position had to relocate on short notice. The hiring panel remembered the letter they got from the really eager and pleasant woman who replied to their rejection letter. So they offered her the job, according to Adams.
Simple Lesson: Write a polite reply to every rejection notice you get. Thank the company for their time and restate your strong desire to work for them.
One more thing — include a final sentence requesting that the hiring manager(s) pass your name on to other companies who may need talented employees like you.
Write something like this: “Because you saw enough value in my background to consider me for this position, would you be so kind as to pass my name and resume on to anyone you know who would benefit from my skills and experience? Thank you very much in advance!”
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February 11th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Dear Mr. Donlin,
I just read your letter about writing a follow up thank you note. I am wondering if I should do the same for a phone interview?
February 13th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Yes, follow up to every interview you have, whether it’s in person or by phone. Get the correct spelling and SNAIL MAIL address for people who interview you, then mail a printed thank-you note.
Kevin
July 1st, 2008 at 9:50 am
Hello,
I appreciate your advice about responding to rejection.
I am wondering what I should do in this situation:
I live in Michigan and this has been such a difficult time for our state. I have been unemployed for over 8 months now.
The economy here has been terrible for several years, ahead of the rest of the country. So now, it’s even tougher to find a job than ever before.
I had an interview last Friday with a PR firm for an Account Exec position. The main partner got stuck in traffic and couln’t make it. I ended up meeting, very briefly, with the other partner for about 5 or 10 minutes, while we waited for the other person to show up.
I hardly had a chance to talk about my qualifications or anything I could add to the company, after which, I waited in a conference room for almost 40 minutes, alone.
Finally, they said that the other partner was not able to attend. I wrote a thank you email to the man I did meet with within two hours of my interview, thanking him and letting him know that I was very interested in the opportunity and that I looked forward to continuing our discussion when we could all reconvene. He emailed me back and thanked me for my time, then said they’d be in touch. (nothing concrete)
I called Monday and left a message with the person who set up the original interview, letting her know I would like to reschedule.
It is now a day later, and I still haven’t heard anything from them.
What would you do at this point if you were in my position? I don’t want to be a pest.
This is the first opportunity that even looked like a decent fit, since I’ve been unemployed.
I have been keeping a very positive attitude, but now I am starting to get depressed and scared about my financial situation.
Sorry it is such a long email.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Best regards,
Anne
July 1st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Anne,
See my response here!
http://www.thesimplejobsearch.com/blog/2008/07/01/job-interviews-with-halfwits/
September 19th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I left a position on the west coast for personal reasons and returned to my home on the east coast following a 5-year hiatus. In the past year, I have had approximately twenty interviews and no job offers. One company that I applied to was a company I had previously worked with for 6 years. I won awards for my work there and was promoted twice. I nurtured the relationship with the hiring manager of my former company for seven months, which consisted of three interviews and an off-site luncheon. Then the job was placed ON HOLD. When it finally became available again, I got a call from the HR manager saying that the job would be available in two more weeks, but that I would have to once again interview for it. I never even got the interview. When I called to inquire about the status of the position, I was told by the same HR person that the job had already been filled “with someone who was a better fit” - whatever that means. Am I frustrated? You Bet! Am I angry? Yes I am! I’ve been searching 8 hours a day, 6 days a week for a year. I’ve networked, followed up with ideas for the company, and interviewed well (so I was to\d) and still not one job offer. I’ve been videotaped in a mock interview, critiqued, and applied the constructive comments I received to my interview presence. I even wrote a follow-up note to the hiring manager at my former company after I was rejected. She never even responded. WHAT MORE CAN I DO?
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:06 am
If you’ve interviewed approx. 20 times and had no job offers, you need to change how you’re interviewing. The changes you’ve made aren’t working, or you would be
You say that you’ve sought help — been videotaped, critiqued, etc. — but that help has not been effective, or, again, you would be working by now.
Unfortunately, just getting a coach to fix a problem is not enough — you need to get an EXCELLENT coach. I’ve taken golf classes from good, bad and excellent coaches, and only the latter have helped.
So, I would suggest you start at the top, by reviewing the material from the two best interview coaches I know, at http://www.TheInterviewCoach.com and http://www.AskTheHeadhunter.com
Apart from that, I’d suggest you submit your resume to me for review by replying to the next follow-up email you get from me after downloading your free Simple Job Search Manifesto at - http://www.TheSimpleJobSearch.com. I can then see what else may be holding you back.
Finally, be sure to read and re-read my Manifesto, because I provide lots of tips that will help you create your own job market and follow up effectively with employers.
Good luck!