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Replying to Job Rejection: Time Waster or Networking Opportunity?

By Jaymie Pompeo
Contributor, Career Services

Weeks after interviewing with your dream company, you finally receive confirmation by email. Instead of opening what you hope to be the details of the job offer, your eyes gravitate on reading: “While you are, without a doubt, one of the most highly qualified candidates for this position, we’ve selected another candidate who we feel is best qualified at this time.

Regardless of the circumstance, job rejection crushes you, especially when you’re denied an opportunity you’re convinced is the perfect fit. It’s easy to let your emotions take over, grow bitter, and eventually move on to focus efforts elsewhere. However, don’t neglect the potential job rejection offers – with a positive mindset, it can be another strategy to open the lines of communication for future opportunities.

While your reply never guarantees anything, there’s always a chance to expand your professional network, which should never be wasted. Remember, you made it through the final rounds of the interview process, invested copious amounts of time discussing your interests, experience and skills with this employer – clearly, a professional relationship has been established. Why not use this to your advantage?

Ensure your reply is brief, courteous and professional, along with keeping the following in mind:

Watch the Tone

Establish the right tone, as your character can vividly show through your writing. It’s perfectly acceptable to be sincere in briefly expressing your disappointment – after all, you genuinely wanted to be a part of this team. However, be cautious in how you express this as you don’t want to convey any feelings of bitterness in not being selected. Instead, focus on the positive outcomes that could follow from this relationship.

Show Appreciation

Regardless of the outcome, the interview proved to be a unique opportunity where professionals got together to provide an in-depth view of the organization. Plan to include a note of appreciation for their time and professionalism. You may not have been chosen, but there’s a lot of coordination involved when hosting interviews. Most likely, you were treated very professionally from the beginning of the application process through the final steps of the hiring process.

Emphasize Your Professional Interest

Having gone through the interview, you have the distinct advantage of understanding the company needs and how they could benefit from having you on board. Express genuine interest in why you’re still vested in this company. You could also express a different perspective in asking for feedback to position yourself as a stronger candidate. While you may not receive specific information, it still shows you are open to receiving feedback to improve upon, which speaks highly of the type of person you are.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Remember, if you really liked the people and organization, you’ll want to keep this connection. Nurture the relationship by requesting to connect on LinkedIn, schedule an informational interview to further your knowledge on this industry, or just send an email occasionally about something of mutual interest. Whatever you go with, ensure your approach is genuine and sincere to maintain that lasting impression. Maybe this wasn’t the right time, but who’s to say there won’t be a next time?

[Related: Waiting for Your Chance]

About the Author

Jaymie completed her bachelor’s in Business Administration with Florida Atlantic University. Her career journey began in human resources where she handled several aspects of the employee experience such as new hire orientations, team buildings, employee relations, and exit interviews. Motivated in helping others succeed, she transitioned into higher education with American Public University System (APUS) in 2010. The experience she gained in academic advising helped shape her passion towards empowering students and alumni with their career journey, particularly those transitioning from military to civilian work. For this reason and many more, she is excited to be a Career Coach supporting interests with Homeland Security, Emergency and Disaster Management, Criminal Justice, and Security Management.

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