When Youve Been Eliminated as a Job Candidate - Hire Imaging

When You’ve Been Eliminated as a Job Candidate - Hire Imaging If you’ve been eliminated from the selection process for a particular job, you may think that’s the end of the line. No! Why? Because any employer can be a link to other job opportunities. Here are a few thoughts for what you can do: Ask for feedback about your strengths and weaknesses. If you believe you had a good interview, email, call or visit the interviewer to ask about how you presented yourself. Both the praise and criticism are important to you. A little feedback on what you did right helps to keep you going, and criticism cues you about what you might need to change. Not all interviewers will respond. But there are some who enjoy helping you improve what you are doing, especially if they want to encourage you to continue in their line of work. Ask for referrals. “I’d like to continue seeking work in this field. Could you suggest who I might talk with, or where job possibilities might generally be?” While you may draw a blank on this, it’s worth asking for referrals. Especially in tight fields where professionals know each other, you may get a strong lead if you made a good impression during the interview. At other times, the interviewer can tell you the kinds of organizations best to approach or give you other useful information. Send thank-you notes. A thank-you note is valuable in reconnecting. It’s the best way you have of reinforcing a positive impression, so use it with anyone you hope to see again. A well-stated and friendly letter is remembered long after the selection process is over. If you write ten of these letters to interviewers you liked, odds are you will have some beneficial future contact with at least two or three of them. Following up well separates the confident and tenacious job seeker from those who are tentatively dipping their toes in the water. Early interviews are preludes to better interviews. Sometimes interviews circle back on themselves. The person you talked to three weeks ago (who rejected you, but you did some follow-up anyway) is the person you meet later who tells you about a new company he just heard of. Follow-up also sharpens your persistence skills, your ability to keep moving toward a goal even when the early indications are uncertain. There will be many moments when you want to give up or settle for less, but follow-up reminds you that every contact you make has some potential. It sounds cheesy, but the person you least suspect might help you can become the one who gives you the lead you’re looking for. When you get the “Thanks for your interest, but …” letter, focus on the positive, hard as it may seem. You’re now in the pipeline, so you have access to influencers and decision-makers that other candidates just don’t. Move forward, adding the value this experience has afforded you. I always love to hear from you! Please comment below.