When you are in a job search, it is important to remember that most companies’ hiring timelines won’t match your timeline exactly. As a result, it is important to not fall into the trap of focusing only on jobs that are open today. Instead, put on your sales hat and focus on jobs that will be open tomorrow as well!
When a job seeker gets a letter or email that tells them that they were not selected for a particular job, most people view this communication as a “Rejection” letter. I see it as an “Opportunity” letter. Because one thing that successful sales people understand very well is that “No” only means “No” today.
When people are told they are not getting hired or invited to interview for the ONE job they applied for, most make the mistake of assuming the company is saying that they are not welcome to apply to that company again. The reality is that often companies have simply found a few other candidates that they want to talk to at this time. As a recruiter for over 20 years, I witnessed multiple times when a candidate that didn’t get invited into the initial interview process or was not offered the job originally ended up getting called back and hired at a later date.
These job seekers earn this call back due to hard work, follow up and not taking “No” for an answer.
I recommend that whenever a job seeker gets an “opportunity” letter that they actually send a letter back including the following:
- Thank the company for their consideration, especially if you had an interview.
- Resell your background and why you feel it would be a good match for their company, regardless if the job you applied for is seemingly filled or not.
- Express continued interest in their company and tell them you will be following up with them again in 30 days–and then do it!
This tells the company that you have strong communication and follow up skills, and a REAL interest in working for them. Remember, companies rarely have all their jobs posted online and they certainly don’t have future jobs posted. So just because you aren’t a match for one job doesn’t mean you aren’t a match for a job that they will begin searching for in a week or two. Your follow up might be perfectly timed with their next opportunity!
What will you do the next time you are rejected?