Managing Job Rejection

You’ve heard of a post-interview thank you note. Now get ready for the post-rejection thank you note! I see WAY too many job seekers viewing rejection as the end of the line. They cut ties with everyone at the company. These are people you spent 30-60+ minutes connecting with! They know your value, they know what you offer. They can be some of the best leads for new roles if you let them. So instead of letting rejection be the end of the line… Send a Post-Rejection Thank You note! Here's how to write one in 4 parts: 1. Thank them for taking the time to consider you 2. Wish them a ton of success with the hire they made 3. Mentioned specific things that you loved about the company, team, and speaking with them! 4. Ask if it'd be ok for you to stay in touch For example: "Hi Jamie, Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me last week! I heard the team made a hire, I'm super excited for you all and I'm wishing you a ton of success with [Initiative]. I really enjoyed interviewing at [Company], and I especially enjoyed our chat about the future of blockchain in the health tech space. If you're up for it, I'd love to stay in touch! Either way, have an awesome rest of the week." Now set a calendar invite to follow up with these people once / month. Aim to add value with your touch points. I promise they'll lead you to more opportunities.

Make sure you're taking a long-term view while searching for your next role - that's how you build a career, not just land a job! Three pro-moves: 1. Respond with grace to every rejection and use it as an opportunity to reaffirm your interest in the company more broadly. Why: If you make it pretty far through a process (past the hiring manager), the company likes you and sees a strong match. You would likely do well there, even if another candidate wins out for this role. A positive reaction to a rejection helps strengthen the relationship with the team, and let's them know the door is open to the future. Real Life Results: I've seen others share their successes; I can personally tell you I've received 3 offers from places that have previously rejected me, and 2 were when they circled back within a few weeks to months of a rejection, with another opportunity. Ex. "Thank you so much for this update! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed because COMPANY was truly my top choice, and a place I know I would thrive, but I'm so glad you found a strong match for this opportunity, it's an awesome role and team!! This process has been wonderful and only strengthened my interest in working with COMPANY so I hope you'll keep me in mind for similar opportunities - I'll be keeping my eyes peeled too. Careers are long and I hope we'll have the chance to be colleagues one day!" 2. Take that interview, even if something about the opportunity is less than ideal. Why: Maybe the comp is low, maybe title isn't quite what you wanted. But it's still a chance to learn more and network. If the company is of interest to you, take the chance to learn more. Yes there's an opportunity cost in terms of your time, but it may be worth it to get some networking in. Real Life Results: I've shared before that the initial salary range I was quoted for my job at Zapier was lower than what I would have expected...I continued any way, and fortunately managed to get leveled up which landed me an offer I was happy to accept! In the past, accepting an interview for a job in a location I was not willing to go to also landed me a great opportunity. Ex. There isn't one. Just say yes if there's something appealing - you might decline this opportunity, but open the door to an even better one! 3. Keep in touch with people after networking chats, interviews, etc. Why: Anyone you've met with once is in your network. When you share updates, you keep the lines of communication open. This makes it easier to make an ask in the future, and also keeps you top of mind for them! Real Life Results: This approach has helped me get referrals or connections to hiring managers, some of which have led to offers. Ex. "I know we chatted a few months ago - since our conversation, I completed my certification through PMI, and moved into an agile-focused role in my dept. I'm still interested in opportunities with COMPANY in the future, so certainly keep me in mind in the future!"

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱? You’re not alone. I have been there too. Getting ghosted after an interview is more painful than being rejected. However, it shouldn't disrupt your job search. You need to apply the right strategies to keep going. Here are some strategic ways to handle it:  1/ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: After an interview, send a thank-you email. If you don't hear back by the expected date, reply with a polite inquiry about the hiring timeline. 2/ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀: Use the silence as a chance to reflect on your interview performance. Identify areas of improvement for future interviews. 3/ 𝗪𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Continue applying to other jobs and maintaining your job search momentum. 4/ 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: If possible, connect with someone from the interview panel or the HR department to get constructive feedback, even if they haven’t contacted you. 5/ 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻: Engage with professional networks and industry communities to stay informed and connected, which can lead to new opportunities. 6/ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲: Experiencing job ghosting can affect confidence. Invest time in self-care and activities that boost your morale and self-esteem. Focusing on these practical steps allows you to navigate the ghosting experience thoughtfully, potentially opening new doors even when others remain closed. Tell me your thoughts. Have you ever been ghosted?

The worst thing you can do after receiving a rejection is to abandon the relationship you’ve built with the recruiter or hiring manager. If you’re tempted to walk away because of a “no,” try looking at it from a different angle. You never know what other opportunities could come your way. When I was rejected from Apple in the semi-final round, I reached back out to the recruiter, highlighted two other roles I was qualified for, and asked if she could introduce me to the respective hiring teams. Because of how I performed throughout the process and the genuine connection I developed with her, she sent two introductory emails on my behalf. Although I ultimately didn’t land those positions, I gained new contacts and received positive feedback on my file. Here’s my three-step process after a rejection: 1. Follow Up 2. Research other roles you qualify for 3. Send your findings to the recruiter/hiring manager and keep the conversation going You never know what might happen: recruiters and hiring managers could move to other companies where you might be a perfect fit. Or you might discover another role that leads to a “yes.” Don’t underestimate the power of maintaining relationships and following up. #StephSynergy

Having a job offer rescinded after you've already resigned is one of the most devastating career experiences you can face - and it's happening more often than ever. I've seen this destroy people's finances, confidence, and career momentum. Companies do this with minimal consequences while candidates bear all the costs. If this happens to you, here's your strategic response framework: 1. Document everything - Save all emails, texts, recorded conversations (where legal), and written agreements related to the offer, acceptance, and rescission. 2. Analyze your contract - Look for conditional language, start date specifications, and termination clauses that might give you legal protection or recourse. 3. Get legal advice fast - Talk to employment counsel before you communicate with the company. Know your rights before you respond. 4. Activate your network immediately - Speed is crucial for damage control and finding new opportunities. Don't suffer in silence. This trend reflects a shift in employer-candidate power dynamics that's troubling. Companies are becoming more comfortable treating candidates as disposable, even after formal commitments. While legal recourse is often limited, strategic response can minimize career damage and accelerate your recovery through targeted networking and opportunity development. The best defense is protection during negotiations - but when prevention fails, swift action is everything. This shouldn't be happening, but since it is, you need to be prepared. What protective measures have you observed or implemented during job offer negotiations? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3yk2j CC: TikTok @itsyourbestfriendem Dm for removal. #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #offerrescission #employmentlaw #careerprotection #careerstrategist

“Unfortunately, we will not be moving forward with you…” This statement kills the morale of many job searchers. I received lots of these, but did they stop me? No! Rejection is not always your fault. Sometimes it happens not because you did anything wrong. You might even get rejected for being overqualified, lol. Rejection presents itself so we can take the lessons, move on, and improve. Instead of beating yourself up, here’s how to turn rejection into an opportunity: 1) Acknowledge and Process How You Feel ✔ Allow yourself to feel and process your emotions. Don’t take anything personally, and don’t dwell on negative thoughts. 2) Ask for and Analyze Feedback ✔ Whether good or bad, feedback can help you improve your performance and prepare for future opportunities. 3) Seek Support and Guidance ✔ Gain motivation, confidence, and new perspectives by reaching out to mentors, friends, or career coaches. 4) Keep Learning and Growing ✔ Rejection is not failure but feedback that can help you improve and evolve. Continuously work on your skills and knowledge. When rejection happens, you can either get upset or turn it into an opportunity to succeed in your career path planning! What additional tips would you add? Share your experiences in the comments! ------------------------- ➕ Follow Jaret André for more daily data job search tips. 🔔 Hit the bell icon to be notified of job searchers' success stories.

One of the most pernicious yet rampant issues I've come across in Silicon Valley is lack of self-confidence and imposter syndrome. This effects so many of us, including folks who are regularly perceived as successful. It's a complex set of issues with no silver bullet solution because so many of these inner beliefs stem from pivotal experiences folks have had that have been memorialized into their self-image, whether they realize it or not. I wanted to share a couple of techniques that I have used for years now as ways that I try to control my own inner monologue instead of allowing it to control me. The first technique I use is to judiciously capture every piece of praise anyone has ever bestowed upon me into a praise note. By forcing myself to capture it, it forces me to take a moment to really memorialize the praise and appreciate myself for whatever I'm being given praise on. When I'm struggling with confidence, when I'm feeling down, or whenever I'm having doubts, scrolling through my praise note serves as a strong reminder to myself of what I am capable of and just how much others value me. Now the next technique I use is actually the polar opposite of the first. I also judiciously capture every rejection I've ever had in a rejections note. People are often surprised by this one as it's easy to see this as a potential downer. But I don't use it that way. The reason this is so important is because it helps you realize that being rejected is not the end of the world. That life goes on. And frankly in many cases, you go on to thrive in so many unexpected ways. The fear of rejection holds so many of us back. And the best thing you can do for yourself is remove that fear's power of you. So what that you are rejected! It's not the end of the world. I share more about these practices for building self-confidence, including specific examples of praise & rejection from my own life, in today's essay https://lnkd.in/gV_C86Fi

Raise your hand if you like to be rejected? 💁♀️ Nobody. Nobody likes to be rejected. But in the job search, this is a reality that almost every candidate faces (and news that every recruiter and hiring manager dreads giving). But... how do you respond to that rejection? Especially if the reason for rejection is not a no forever, but a no right now? This is not the time to show a low EQ. Or to lash out. Or to bash the company online for not hiring you. Or to say something snotty to the team that recruited you, even if you disagree with the feedback. Recently, we were recruiting for a development position and we had a wonderful candidate, a referral, who did very well in the interview process. But this applicant was missing a critical skill for the job and the team simply did not have the time to train and meet the project deadlines they had. We provided the feedback to the applicant, who was naturally disappointed. But this person wrote a wonderful note outlining their desire to work at this company, their work they had already done towards learning that skill, and asked that we share it with the hiring team. We assured the candidate that this no was not a no forever and encouraged that person to keep lines of communication open and that we would think of them if anything changed. Fast forward and less than 2 months later a new headcount was approved. The hiring managers did not want to conduct another full search or interview process. They wanted to go straight to this candidate (if they were still available) and make the offer. Both candidate and company were thrilled it worked out. While this is a best case scenario, and I acknowledge many don't always have two months to wait, imagine how this would have played out if the candidate had reacted to the rejection differently? As a leader who hires myself and as someone who has been responsible for thousands of placements in my career, I see all too often when rejection gets the better of people. And their reaction to that rejection changes a "not now" or "not the right time" response to a hard no. And rightfully so. Just because one position didn't work out for you at that time, doesn't mean that another one at that same company won't be a fit. Or that as soon as the next role opens, that they won't immediately think of you and call you first for that next opening!

How you respond to stress is directly correlated to your level of success in your career and in life. After countless sleepless days, I found a 5-step formula to help me through it: How you respond to these critical moments will make or break you. I'm sharing the 5-part thought process I go through when my stress levels redline. Feel free to bookmark this if it's helpful: STEP 1) Accept the situation The first step is to accept the reality of the situation you're dealing with. Accepting the situation allows you to RESET YOUR EXPECTATIONS and move forward with a newly defined level of "success" that you can meet. *Breathe STEP 2) Remove the emotion Try to separate your emotions from it. By removing the emotional component, you can approach the problem more rationally and make clearer decisions. *Breathe STEP 3) Analyze objectively Why did this happen? Maybe it's because you failed to get back to them on time, or your competition is just better. Use this "failure" as input to improve! Process the reality of that, then go off and do what you need to do– believing that you will do what it takes. *Breathe STEP 4) Maintain an objective mindset   Your mindset determines how you relate to and deal with adversity. Approach challenges with a long-term optimistic mindset, rather than a negative one. An objective mindset allows you to see the situation clearly, assess the facts, and find an effective solution. *Breathe STEP 5) Avoid reacting from a place of fear I know, you want to respond quickly but you should probably rethink that so you don't make any impulsive decisions that can hurt you or your business. Instead, take a moment to breathe, process the situation, and think through your actions before responding. You'll notice there's one common thread that ties the steps together. You need to breathe. Breathing helps to calm the mind in that moment of fear, uncertainty, doubt, panic, or anxiety. When those things arise, you have to center yourself back to where your heart rate decreases and your mind isn't racing like crazy. ➝ Centering yourself physically allow you to make the best decisions mentally. Think about the last time you felt a visceral response to a nasty email from a customer. You want to retaliate with choice words of your own. But that helps nobody. When you're able to run through the above steps, you might be able to pull some helpful feedback out of that email. And you can move on with your day! You won't need this post until you do, but when you do - please re-read it. Derive confidence from this process. Know that you are capable. Control what you can control. Let go of what you can't. What's your best stress management technique? 

Going through the job search can be hard and make one feel small, especially in a poor job market such as now. I remember when recruiters would ghost me after persuing me, or tell me that they like me but, I still don’t have enough to make the cut. That hurt. However, I stopped feeling hurt by it when I focused on my self-worth and stopped relinquishing the power to the job search to make me feel small. Here's what helped me maintain a high version of self belief and worth: 🌻 Positive Self-Talk: Be mindful of your inner dialogue. Replace self-doubt with positive affirmations. Remind yourself of your skills, resilience, and potential. Stop the self deprecation. 🌻 Acknowledge Your Accomplishments: Reflect on your achievements, both big and small, no matter what they are. Celebrate your progress and recognize the value you bring to the table. 🌻Set Realistic Goals: Break down your goals into smaller, achievable steps. Each accomplishment reinforces your self-worth and builds confidence. 🌻Learn and Adapt: Embrace continuous learning. Acquire new skills, stay informed about industry trends, and adapt to changes. Knowledge empowers self-belief. 🌻 Faith: My belief in God and what He says about my life helped me maintain myself in a high regard and that I am destined for greater, always. Find what helps keep you strong and grounded. You are capable and deserving. Trust in your abilities, and keep moving forward! 💭 how are you maintaining a high version of self worth during your jobsearch? #theBOLDjourney #jobsearch