5 Things to Do After a Rejection Letter

When you receive a rejection letter after an interview, take some time to think through the experience and try to remember every detail that might have possibly stopped you from moving forward. Let’s talk about five important things you can do upon hearing the sad news:

1. Follow Up With Your Recruiter

Most companies will have the courtesy to tell you if you are not selected to move forward in the recruiting process. About 90% of recruiters use a form rejection letter to deliver the bad news. However, a form letter won’t help you understand what happened to derail your candidacy. You must write a follow-up letter to the recruiter if you want to learn from your mistakes.

In your letter, thank the recruiter for his or her time and effort, and humbly ask him or her if there is any feedback he or she (or the hiring manager) can give you. This is critical in order to learn what the interviewer was looking for that you either didn’t have or weren’t able to present. If you want to win, you need to know how to play the game.

2. … But Don’t Come Across As Too Desperate

There was once a candidate interviewed for one of my open positions. She was not a very good fit and didn’t present the consulting skills required for the job. She was informed by our recruiter of our decision. When she learned the bad news, she thought it was because her resume was not polished, so she hired a career coach to help her re-package herself. She sent the “platinum” resume to our hiring team, asking for another chance. We exchanged emails back and forth a few times, as I tried to explain that it was not because of her resume, However, she was so determined that she decided to keep emailing me in the hopes we would give her another chance. Unfortunately, I finally gave up trying to communicate with her after a few rounds of emails.

3. Expand Your Network

If you enjoyed your conversations with the recruiter and the manager, but didn’t get the job for reasons beyond your control, don’t fret. Add them on LinkedIn, keep them posted on the progress of your career, “like” the articles they share, congratulate them on their work anniversaries, and ask them questions if you think they can help. You never know how or when your paths might cross in the future thanks to your efforts to stay connected today.

4. Listen To An Interesting Or Encouraging Speech

A rejection letter can be really depressing — especially one from a dream employer — but life goes on. I have received many rejection letters in my life, and I have found the most effective way to get me out of the doldrums is to listen an interesting or encouraging speech. It can distract you from your bad news and give you something new to think about.

5. Re-visit Your Resume And Practice Your Interview Skills

Now that you have learned from your mistakes, expanded your networks, and re-charged yourself, take action:

· Give your resume to a few people who are good at polishing words — you need some fresh eyes to take a look at it.

· Practice the questions you didn’t answer well and find someone who can critique your answers professionally.

Last but not least, remember: rejection is not the end of the world.

Keep calm and carry on! Contact me if you need any customized solutions.

Happy Job Hunting!