Welcome to another section of Ask Dorothy, where I post a comment or answer to questions that I have received from Twitter: @dorothyjs, my contact me page or through the comment sections of my posts.

Ask Dorothy #2

Interviews have made people cynical. So many people are rejected for jobs that they have lost faith in the recruitment process. In a perfect world you would be invited to a job interview, meet the recruiter and hiring manager, have a great interview and hear back from the recruiter in a few days whether you got the job or not. If you didn’t get the job but the recruiter and hiring manager thought you were great, they would keep your resume and think of you when another opportunity opens up down the line.

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience.”

We all know that this scenario does not always happen but the fact is that it still happens. Good recruiters keep resumes on file once they meet a great candidate. For whatever reason you didn’t get Job A doesn’t mean you’re not qualified for Job B. If you stay positive, polite, professional, ask for feedback after you were told that you did not get the job and most importantly BE PATIENT you might end up like Belinda. This is her story:

Belinda

Thank you for the article it made me feel much better after being rejected for a position I was certain I had in the bag.
I was actually contacted by the manager to apply for the job and had an interview the next day, I thought it went well, it lasted over an hour and I had a great rapport with the 2 interviewers but I got a phone call that afternoon saying I didn’t get the job.
The manager rang me with the news and I did have a chance to ask for feedback, the reply really confused me, he said I gave a great interview and not to change anything about my approach, that I was articulate and well presented, I answered the questions thoroughly and I had researched the company well, infact he said he really had no reason not to hire me and that it was unfortunate there were not 2 positions available. Was I just a fill in interview? Your feedback would be appreciated:)

My Response

Hi Belinda,
When the manager tells you that you did great and should not change anything isn’t actually great feedback because if you were so great why didn’t you get the job. The reason was probably because they had a target hire or he/she was pressured into hiring someone’s relative. The only thing you can take out of this fake interview is that this manager thought you presented yourself well and that you shouldn’t change anything re: your interview style/approach. Not many people get that sort of feedback and I’m sure this made you feel great and even a little more confident for your next interview. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Belinda

Hi Dorothy,
Just letting you know that I was contacted by the manager who said I gave a fantastic interview but “sorry” no job, I was offered a position at another location and start tomorrow, I guess it pays to put your best foot forward at all times (even when your feeling down on another rejection) and never discount that no after a failed interview.

My Response

Congratulations Belinda! Obviously you did give a fantastic interview and the company was smart enough to keep your resume in their mind when another position came up. This is what every company should do. Good luck in your new role and Congratulations again!!!!

Photo by QueenNeveen

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