After sending out scores of resumes, you finally got an interview. The job was perfect. You had the right education, work experience and skills. You did your homework, researched the company and had a list of insightful questions about the company and the job. You looked great and were relaxed and confident. You answered every question completely and had situations to back up the behavioral interview questions. The hiring manager took you on a tour and even had you meet one of the senior project managers. Now you’re staring at a meticulously typed reject letter. They chose another candidate. You can almost feel the floor dropping out from under your feet. What happened???
Disbelief. Anger. Despair. The hope that the search was finally ending is replaced with the reality of starting all over again. If this has happened a number of times, it gets more difficult to regroup, recover and stay positive. Here are some tips to getting over getting passed over for the job:
1. Give it a day or two, and then, when you are calm and relaxed, call the hiring manager and thank him for the opportunity to interview. Ask for feedback about the interview or your resume, with the intention of improving your technique for future interviews. You may learn something valuable to either eliminate or add to make your chances better. Thank him for the feedback and wish them the best.
2. There is no “perfect job.” Make a list of the things about the job that were undesirable. Maybe it was a long commute or the salary was less than expected. If you’ve been in the job search, you may have run out of your “A” list jobs and are no on “B” or “C.” A little reality goes a long way to feeling better about not getting a job that may not have been right for you in the first place.
3. Mentally walk through your last interview. What questions were you unprepared for? Were you confident, or hesitant? I once blew an interview because the interviewer told me later that I appeared uninterested or distracted. The truth was, I wasn’t feeling well and could hardly concentrate. If you are sick or otherwise not at your best, you may want to reschedule.
4. Review your resume. Have you left off some important information or accomplishments that better showcase your abilities? Does it need an update? Are the extra copies you carry to an interview printed on heavy bond paper with no smudges or creases?
5. Ask a friend or colleague to assess your interview attire. Are you dressing for success? Not every job requires the “interview suit” but it’s better to overdress than be too casual. Be sure you carry a good quality pen (no plastic pens with advertising on them) and a leather portfolio for note paper and extra copies of your resume.
6. It may take six months to a year to find a new job in this job market, depending on the industry and your work history. If you are in a job or industry that is declining, enroll in some classes to make your more marketable or begin a program of self-study to improve your technical skills, learn a new skill, or freelance using existing skills to earn some money while looking for a regular job. There are websites for freelancers like http://www.guru.com/ and http://www.elance.com/ that post freelance jobs that you can bid on. You may find a whole new career by trying something new. It may be the best job search strategy for you.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
Disbelief. Anger. Despair. The hope that the search was finally ending is replaced with the reality of starting all over again. If this has happened a number of times, it gets more difficult to regroup, recover and stay positive. Here are some tips to getting over getting passed over for the job:
1. Give it a day or two, and then, when you are calm and relaxed, call the hiring manager and thank him for the opportunity to interview. Ask for feedback about the interview or your resume, with the intention of improving your technique for future interviews. You may learn something valuable to either eliminate or add to make your chances better. Thank him for the feedback and wish them the best.
2. There is no “perfect job.” Make a list of the things about the job that were undesirable. Maybe it was a long commute or the salary was less than expected. If you’ve been in the job search, you may have run out of your “A” list jobs and are no on “B” or “C.” A little reality goes a long way to feeling better about not getting a job that may not have been right for you in the first place.
3. Mentally walk through your last interview. What questions were you unprepared for? Were you confident, or hesitant? I once blew an interview because the interviewer told me later that I appeared uninterested or distracted. The truth was, I wasn’t feeling well and could hardly concentrate. If you are sick or otherwise not at your best, you may want to reschedule.
4. Review your resume. Have you left off some important information or accomplishments that better showcase your abilities? Does it need an update? Are the extra copies you carry to an interview printed on heavy bond paper with no smudges or creases?
5. Ask a friend or colleague to assess your interview attire. Are you dressing for success? Not every job requires the “interview suit” but it’s better to overdress than be too casual. Be sure you carry a good quality pen (no plastic pens with advertising on them) and a leather portfolio for note paper and extra copies of your resume.
6. It may take six months to a year to find a new job in this job market, depending on the industry and your work history. If you are in a job or industry that is declining, enroll in some classes to make your more marketable or begin a program of self-study to improve your technical skills, learn a new skill, or freelance using existing skills to earn some money while looking for a regular job. There are websites for freelancers like http://www.guru.com/ and http://www.elance.com/ that post freelance jobs that you can bid on. You may find a whole new career by trying something new. It may be the best job search strategy for you.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
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