Is there anything more disheartening than rejection? You spent all that time crafting your resume and perfecting your interview answers and they’ve “gone in a different direction” with their hiring. Ugh!
It’s even worse when it’s a job you really wanted. Is there a way to stay connected with them so they really do keep your resume on file for future opportunities?
Well, the truth is that that initial application (and rejection) may actually be the starting point of a fruitful conversation with a dream employer.
But you don’t start where you think you start. In fact, you start before you even know you’ve been passed over for the role. In a perfect world, it even starts before you apply. If you see something you really want, start by reaching out to people who work there and setting up informational interviews. You may need to do this as you write your application materials, but start as quickly as you can. (If you don’t have time to reach out to them before you submit your application, do so as quickly as possible afterwards, letting them know you’ve applied.) Be cordial and interested. Ask them lots of questions, but be mindful of their time.
During the interview, do everything you can to impress the interviewers, and jot down some notes for yourself as you speak with them. Did they seem impressed by something you said? Do you share a hobby with one person from the team? These are talking points for following up, so gather as much information as you can.
After the interview, regardless of how you feel you did, make a plan to stay in touch with the team. Keep things professional, of course, but think about what makes sense for keeping those connections nice and warm. An easy thing to do is to follow people on LinkedIn, and to like and comment on their posts. Ask them relevant questions, or share interesting content they’ve posted. Congratulate them on successes, and thank them when they congratulate you on yours. And do all this regardless of whether you think you’re going to get an offer.
If you do get rejected, try not to take it personally. This is one of those things that’s easy to say and really hard to do, particularly if you can see that you’re a great fit for something. But the truth is that we don’t know what goes into a particular decision, and chances are good that it was something out of your control.
Prepare some things you want to say both if you’re offered the job and if you aren’t. If it’s a no from them, see if you can get any feedback on how to do better next time. (Yes, most of the time you will get nothing, but every once in a while, you’ll get something of real value!) End things on a positive note if you can. Thank them for their time and ask to connect on LinkedIn. Tell them that you appreciated the opportunity and you’re still interested in other things that come up there. Reach out again in about a month. Keep the conversation going!
And, of course, don’t forget to take care of yourself. It’s a terrible feeling to be rejected, so be sure to spend some time complaining to your friends or family, cuss, cry—it’s okay to feel terrible. But then it’s time to strategize ways to stay in touch!
