Should you send a thank you note after a job rejection?
This may surprise you, from a CareerBuilder study: 54% of employers re-engage with past candidates who were not offered the job. I take that to mean they consider them later for another opening – or even for the same one.
I’ve seen this happen. One job seeker I coached, let’s call him Steve, was disappointed by an interview rejection involving an instructional designer position. Three weeks later he received a call from the company. The candidate they had selected had accepted the job but backed out at the last minute to accept another offer elsewhere. Was Steve still interested? He was! He started two weeks later in this job, and it was a major leap forward in his career.
This isn’t the only scenario. In other cases there may be additional positions that open up in the coming weeks or months. So when you hear “no,” think of it as “not right now.”
Your thank you note after job rejection:
- Send an email to the hiring manager and recruiter, thanking them for having considered you and mentioning that you’d be interested if there’s an opportunity to work together in the future. Maybe mention that you hope to see them at a certain industry event coming up. Few people send such a note, so you will stand out and be remembered.
What else should you do?
- Send personalized LinkedIn connection requests to the hiring manager, the recruiter and possibly others, especially if you had a good rapport with them.
- Keep your eyes open for future opportunities with this company, whether full-time or consulting.
For more tips about interviewing, read my book, Get That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview, and contact me to see if one-on-one interview coaching could help you get your new job faster.
