Rejection: A Tale of Two Candidates
Two recent clients stand out for how differently they handled rejection.
Both had similar experiences, they interviewed for their dream job, and although they got to the final round of interviews and interviewed well, they did not receive a job offer.
The first client had a difficult time getting beyond his disappointment. Not being chosen tapped into many of his insecurities and caused his self-esteem to plummet. He saw this new job as the perfect “out” of his current, dismal work environment. He desired a fresh start, and this new opportunity provided that. The intense desire for a new/better opportunity triggered severe emotional reactions when he didn’t receive an offer. When we discussed follow up from his interview, he said he absolutely could not contact anyone at the company; his feelings were too hurt. He didn’t feel the company deserved a follow-up. He told me, in not so many words, that not hiring him was their loss.
The second client also felt very disappointed. She did go ahead and follow up with the company. It wasn’t easy because she felt slighted, however she got to know a few of their key players and appreciated them as industry contacts. Every month or so, she stayed in touch. Sending a quick email or commenting on news about the company’s new endeavors through LinkedIn. Her persistence paid off when the company's VP gave her name as a referral when a similar position came open with a vendor. She’s now working with that vendor and loving her new role.
This LinkedIn blog https://blog.linkedin.com/2020/september/18/four-group-conversation-starters-to-bring-your-community-together explains that jobseekers have a 4X higher likelihood of landing their next opportunity if they stay in contact with their network.
Post turndown follow up is crucial for these four reasons.
1. Your contact can put you in touch with someone else who knows someone or has a similar opening.
2. The person who won out the role over you may not perform well. If they quit or are let go, the company will likely go back to their top candidates from previous interviews rather than start over. They will remember you because you have stayed in contact.
3. If the company is growing, they will need another Chief Widget Maker and come to you first.
4. Sometimes jobs go cold (pandemics can do that). Companies freeze hiring and budgets are restricted. If you don’t take the company’s economic downturn personally and stay in touch, you have a better chance of being contacted (someday!) when we get out of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you have kept in contact, they’ll remember you versus your competition and hopefully, you’ll get the first call.
Twos important caveats.
Don’t be overly aggressive. Be tactful and respectful, if you are sensing they don’t appreciate you staying in touch, back off.
Examine your mindset. If you are harboring resentment and can’t get past it. Consider seeing a professional who can help you work through those feelings before you interview elsewhere.