We’ve all been there: you found a company or chance you were really interested in, spent a lot of time getting ready, and maybe even met the team, only to get an email saying “We’re sorry to tell you” that you won’t be moving forward. It hurts no matter what, but it can hurt even more when it was a company you really wanted to work for.
Most of the time, you won’t be turned down because your interviewer didn’t like something about you as a person. If that happens, you shouldn’t work for that company anyway. Most of the time, it has to do with skills or experience, and it often depends on how you compare to the other people who are applying at the same time as you. For example, they may have had a more convincing presentation or more experience related to the job than you did. Rejection can make us feel like we messed up, but we can use it as a chance to make a good impact and make connections for the future.
Last year, I interviewed a candidate who I really liked, but who was a little too young for the job we had open at the time. I didn’t hire her and mostly forgot about it until she emailed me a few months ago about another job at my company that she was interested in. I remembered how much I liked her and told the people doing the hiring. To make a long story short, we are now working together. So even if it doesn’t work out this time, there’s still a chance that this moment could lead to a job offer in the future. You just need a little planning.
How to Respond to a Job Rejection?
If you get an email telling you that you didn’t get the job, it’s normal to feel upset, but don’t take that anger out on the people who hired you. Most of the time, the person who sends you a rejection either doesn’t care about you or liked you and is upset that this didn’t work out. Sending an angry response is a surefire way to turn a good image into a bad one.
Don’t write back right away. Instead, give yourself some time and write back after you’ve gotten over your initial sadness. Some nice options:
- I really appreciate you telling me. Even though I’m upset, I really appreciate the time you took to talk to me.
- Thanks [NAME]! Bummed it didn’t work out this time but it was great to meet you and learn more about the company.
- Thank you for telling me. I really liked meeting the team, and I’ll be sure to keep an eye on [COMPANY] in case there’s a better match in the future.
At this point, you can also ask for feedback, but make sure to be polite if/when you get it. Keep in mind that many companies won’t give detailed feedback for fear of being sued, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Don’t Apply Again and Again
You can apply again in the future, but wait a little while after being turned down, and don’t send the company a ton of applications. Most systems can tell if you’ve applied for a job before, and it’s likely that your name will be familiar to your employer. You’ll definitely become more recognizable, but not in the way we want you to be remembered.
Take advantage of your relationship with your recruiter instead of applying again and hope that someone else will see your resume. Highlight how much you liked meeting them and/or the team (if you did) and how much you still love the company and hope that there will be a mutual fit someday in the future.
Use Your Shared History to Your Advantage
When you find another job you want at the company, send in an application and let your old manager know. It’s a good idea to add:
- A sign of what you have in common. (For example, “We talked about the role of product marketer last year, but it wasn’t a good fit at the time.”)
- What have you been doing since we last talked?
- Why you’re looking forward to this job.
- If you got input the last time, explain what you did with it.
Even if the interviewer doesn’t remember you right away, a thoughtful email reminding them of who you are can go a long way toward getting their attention.
Things may have changed so much that you’re applying for a different kind of job than you did before. If this is the case, explain why you’re applying for a different job than you did before. Maybe you went to a coding boot camp and are now applying for engineering jobs instead of marketing jobs, or maybe you found a new interest and are now applying for creative jobs instead of finance jobs. Giving your interviewer all the information they need helps them make a better case for you. This gives you an advantage over someone who applies without knowing much about the job.
Take Advantage of the Connections you Made
It can be tempting to add everyone you can find from the company on LinkedIn and hope that some of them will accept your invitation. However, even if some people do accept, it usually doesn’t help you get a job offer very much. Even if that random person on LinkedIn agreed to refer you for a job at their company, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you what makes you qualified or why they’re recommending you because you’re just one of hundreds of profiles. Instead, use the people you’ve already met during the interview process to your benefit.
One good thing about getting to an interview before being turned down is that you’ve now had a chance to talk to someone at the company in person. They probably remember you in some vague way, and what’s even better is that they usually have notes from your interview and can remember what you talked about and how they felt about you.
If you don’t get the job, ask your agent if you can add him or her on LinkedIn so you can stay in touch. Do the same for the other people you met during the process. You can also give a LinkedIn connection without asking, but make sure to include a note like “It was great to meet you, and I would love to stay in touch.” This is also a great tool if your recruiter leaves the company or doesn’t respond. This way, you still have ways to get people to look at your application in the future, even if your recruiter is no longer there.
Set Reminders to Check in with the Recruiter
Use this tip with care, because not everyone is open to regular coffee chats or Zoom calls, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Set a reminder every six months to say hello to whoever you thought was the coolest during your interview, whether it was your interviewer or the person you met there. A big part of the art of hiring is keeping in touch with people until you find the right match. You can use this same idea to find a job.
If they aren’t interested, it’s usually best to leave them alone, but if they are, a regular check-in can help in the long run. This makes you stand out and keeps you in mind when new positions open up at the company. It also gives you a chance to make a new friend who might tell you about other opportunities you hadn’t even thought of.
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