Get Feedback after a Job Rejection

Summary: Rejection in any form is never fun but it can provide itself to be a learning opportunity where you can build yourself into a stronger candidate for future positions.

Being rejected is never easy. Job rejections can be even harder. A lot of effort goes into finding job openings, filling out applications, turning in applications with resumes and other required paperwork, preparing for interviews, and then attending interviews just to be turned down again and again.

The rejection stings even more when you feel that you are qualified and nailed the interview. Knowing why you were not selected for the position would help you prepare for next time. How and when is the right time to ask for feedback?

The best time to ask for feedback is when you have had a sit-down interview with them. A company that rejected you before even getting to the interview stage or after a phone interview will have spent very little time getting to know you. The more likely reason you were not selected was because you lacked a necessary skill or didn’t culturally fit with the company. While you can still ask for feedback, it will likely be vague and basic in detail.

The best feedback to help you prepare will come from the companies that you had a second or third interview with. They were obviously interested in you and your qualifications but you may have done something or said something during the interview that turned them off.

The best person to ask for the feedback would be from the recruiter. They are able to provide feedback from the interview as well as gather information from any others involved in the interview process. If there was no recruiter involved then the next best person is the interviewer. You may not always get feedback because there are legal risks involved for the company, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

The best time to ask for feedback is, of course, after the rejection, but ask through email instead of over the phone or in-person. No one likes to be put on the spot. Even if you are not asking for feedback, it is good to respond to a job rejection to keep the relationship in good standing for future job openings.

The best way to ask for feedback is to first, thank them for their time and consideration, then ask if they have any feedback they can give you so that you can make yourself a stronger candidate.

Hearing the truth can really hurt but don’t take the rejection personal or get defensive about it. Take it to heart and use it to address how companies see you.

Photo: theguardian.com