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when you don't get the job

What You Should Do When You Don’t Get the Job

Even in today’s candidate-driven market, it’s possible to be turned down for a job. Getting passed up for a job opportunity is part of life, and it can be a great learning experience along the way to help you hone your interviewing skills in the future. Almost every job seeker will be denied for a job at some point in their career, and it can really be destructive to your job search if taken the wrong way. If you get that dreadful rejection message in your inbox, here is what you should do when you don’t get the job.

Ask for feedback

The first thing you should do, whether it’s over the phone or through an email response, is to ask for feedback. Sometimes, hiring managers or HR will voluntarily provide feedback on why you didn’t get the job. But more often than not, you will just receive a vague email that goes on the lines of:

“Thank you for your interest in <insert company name> for the <insert job title> position. I am writing you to inform you that we have ultimately selected another candidate that best matches the job requirements for the position. We appreciate your time, and we wish you luck on your future career endeavors.”

Pretty unhelpful, right? This is your opportunity to respond thanking them for the opportunity and asking for feedback. This feedback will be crucial because it can help you change how you prepare for interviews in the future. It can also help you identify what hard skills you should add to your repertoire this year.

Ask to connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn

While you are requesting interview feedback from the hiring manager, ask if you can connect with them on LinkedIn. Express your interest with the company and let them know that you will be open to other opportunities in the future. Connecting with them on LinkedIn allows you to stay engaged with them and the company, so you stay at the forefront of the hiring manager’s mind when they need to add a new team member.

Keep your chin up – it may not be your fault

When you ask the hiring manager for feedback, you may realize that it may not have been your fault. There are dozens of reasons why you may have been passed up for the job, reasons completely out of your control. They may have promoted an internal employee, or your salary requirements were not within their pay range. Ultimately, it may not be your fault and can sometimes be entirely out of your control. However, you won’t know until you ask!

Work with a recruiter

So, now you know a few things you should do when you don’t get the job. If you really want to take your job search to the next level, partner with an experienced recruiter. Our team of dedicated recruiters at Johnson Service Group will champion you throughout the entire hiring process. We will work with you to find a job that suits your needs and skillsets. Reach out to us today, and let’s find you a new career in 2020.

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