You polished your resume and sent it to the right person, along with a stellar cover letter.
You got a call.
You aced the interview.
You were brought back in – twice!
You sent thank you notes after each interview, to each interviewer.
Your follow-up was polite and appropriate.
You were told you were a finalist.
The HR person thought it was looking good for you…
And yet, they gave the job to someone else.
After all that effort and waiting and wondering. After joking with the receptionist about being a “regular” in the lobby. After establishing what seemed like a genuine rapport with the executive in charge of the department. After what the HR person said about it looking good…
Yes, it’s a disappointment, but in spite of what you might think, all is not lost. What do you do to maximize your chances of having some good come out of this seeming loss?
1. Be gracious. Yes, you were obviously the best candidate, at least as far as you could tell. And maybe some of the people on the other side of the interview desk thought so, too. But a decision was made, no matter how difficult. And it’s time to touch base one more time with a thank you to all involved for their time and consideration.
2. Be a resource, if you can. If there’s some topic that was discussed and piece of information that the interviewer wished they had, track it down. If the interviewer wanted to connect with someone who you know, offer to make the introduction. There’s not always an opportunity like this, but if there is, take advantage of it.
3. Keep the door open. Part of keeping the door open is the thank you and the effort made as a resource. But saying it is important. “If another position comes up – or if the candidate you hired doesn’t work out – I would still love the opportunity to join the team over there.” A sentence like this can cement you in their minds as the backup or as the first person to be called when something else becomes available.
I have personally hired many people who were passed over for the original job they came in for, sometimes for a better position I knew was coming up but couldn’t say anything about. I have also forward resumes of promising candidate to colleagues at other companies for their open positions. Getting the original job is just one good outcome of the job interviewing process. Consider a “near miss” at getting hired one more step in building your reputation for overall career success.
Jenny Yerrick Martin, founder of YourIndustryInsider.com, has amassed 20+ years as an entertainment industry professional including almost 15 as a hiring executive and five as a career consultant. She’s become an indispensable resource for people who want to break into entertainment, as well as those in entertainment looking to reach the next level or course-correct in their already-established careers.
Didn’t get the job image from Shutterstock
About Jenny Yerrick Martin
This is all well said. How about not even getting a feed back after going through even four interviews and two of you are in the final one. You are pretty sure that you are better than the other guy/ lady but none of you gets the job. The would be employer suddenly goes quiet for over two months!
Yes, a simple thank you goes a long way. Be gracious.
- Carla Crandall
As a career management coach with 20 years’ experience, I would recommend that a candidate who didn’t get the job be very careful not to “overdo the follow-up notes.” What I read here sounds like too much. It’s not professional. One final note thanking everybody and indicating that you are still interested in the company is fine. Don’t say “if this candidate doesn’t work out” — it is not appropriate… they’re smart, they get it.
Most important, find a way to move on. Don’t put all your egges in one basked.
I agree with Bettina you need to keep it simple and professional. You don’t want to sound desperate!
I think if the interview is with a recruiter from an agency, who works exclusively on-stie for the hiring company, you could add that if anything else comes up at the company or agency you would appreciate the person keeping you in mind.
Don’t fret. Move on! Try and try until you succeed. Sounds cliche’ but this is really the mantra to get that job you want.