You’ve spent hours spread over several weeks preparing for multiple rounds of an internship or job interview. On the day you expect a decision, you check your email to receive the dreaded rejection email. 😔 A range of emotions rush through you from sadness to frustration to self-doubt. It is normal to feel all of those things (and often more), but what you do next is important to your search resiliency.
After receiving a rejection message:
- Take a breath, and give yourself time to be disappointed. I like to give myself a window in which I can feel all the feelings, maybe 4 hours, after that I’ve made an agreement with myself to move on.
- Don’t take the rejection personally. This one is hard, but important. There are a variety of factors in a hiring decision and you shouldn’t take it as evidence that your not good enough. There are often factors beyond your control that influence hiring decisions.
- Reflect on what you can control (while letting go of what you can’t control) and improve for next time. What questions did you feel confident in answering? Which ones were more difficult? How would you prepare differently in the future?
- Build in a practice that helps you move forward. An alum mentioned she would apply for 5 new roles after every rejection to remind herself there are more opportunities.
What do you do next with the rejection message?
It is normal to want to delete the email never see it again, but don’t. Take the time to write a response to turn a rejection into a connection for the future. By responding to a rejection you are doing the tough thing that many searchers skip. You never know when a future opportunity to could open up, that would align with you!
Here are 3 points to include:
- Start with Gratitude – I know, it is hard! Thank the hiring manager for getting back to you on the decision and/or the opportunity to interview and learn about the organization, role, and/or individual people.
- Express your disappointment – Be authentic to how you feel and express it, within reason of course! Of course your disappointed, let them know but keep it positive. Use the disappointment as a proxy for your interest in the role.
- Restate your interest in the role & organization – It didn’t work out this time, but maybe in the future! Showing your interest is a way to start a connection. You never know, another role might open up in the coming weeks.
Here is an example:
Hello Hiring Manager Name,
Thank you for note about your hiring decision. While I’m disappointed, I appreciate the opportunity to interview and learn about x organization. Specifically, I enjoyed learning about x and y and meeting the team. While, this opportunity did not work out, I’m still interested in your organization/role and I would like to be considered for future openings that may become available.
Best of luck to your team moving forward,
Name
⭐Take your note a step further and ask for feedback! Below is an example from Indeed.com’s article on How to Respond to A Job Rejection Email:
Dear [Hiring Manager Name],
Thank you for getting back to me about your hiring decision. While I’m disappointed to hear that I was not selected for the [Job Title] position, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to interview for the job and meet some of the members of your team. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about your organization and would love to be considered for any future job openings that may become available.
If you have a moment to spare, I would be interested to hear any feedback you have regarding my application and interview. I’m sure any details you can provide would be helpful to my job search.
Thank you again for your time and consideration, [Hiring Manager Name]. I hope our paths cross again, and I wish you and the rest of the team at [Company] all the best moving forward.
Sincerely,
[Full Name]
