where did I go wrong in this interviewing process? by Alison Green on February 3, 2013 A reader writes: I credit your advice on resumes for helping me get a recent interview with a company for my dream job: a small publisher (~12 employees), in a city I want to live in, as an assistant editor (I am trying to get into publishing,) working on book topics I am interested in. […] Read the full article →
handling a pushy rejected job candidate by Alison Green on February 1, 2013 A reader writes: I am a manager of a small business. I have hired three new people since my start here two years ago. In all of those hiring processes, the same person has been an unsuccessful candidate each time: She’s someone who looks great on paper, but did NOT do well in the interview. […] Read the full article →
how to respond to job rejection – and even make it work for you by Alison Green on January 30, 2013 It’s your favorite topic: job rejection! Obviously, getting rejected for a job you really wanted is one of the worst parts of job searching. But if you handle the rejection well, you can get something useful out of the disappointment. 1. Don’t get angry. There’s no point in getting angry or taking a job rejection […] Read the full article →
responding graciously to a job rejection by Alison Green on December 4, 2012 A reader writes: I wanted to give you a happy endings story. After 2 months of interviews for what was a dream internship, I found out on Friday that I didn’t get the job. I was slightly devastated, but having read almost every article you’ve posted, I knew I needed to send a genuine thank-you […] Read the full article →
job rejections right before a holiday: okay or not okay? by Alison Green on November 21, 2012 Whenever I need to send out rejection emails and it’s a day before a holiday — especially Thanksgiving or Christmas — I always wonder if it’s kinder to wait. What’s your take? Would you rather get an answer right now, so that you’re not wondering and agonizing over the holiday break when you could have […] Read the full article →
6 reasons employers won’t tell you why they didn’t hire you by Alison Green on September 26, 2012 If you’re like many job seekers, you wonder why employers aren’t more forthcoming with feedback when they don’t hire you. Why are rejection letters so vague, and why are so many requests for feedback met with platitudes like “your qualifications were impressive, but we identified other applicants who were a better fit”? While some hiring […] Read the full article →
asking your interviewer to let you know if you didn’t get the job by Alison Green on August 16, 2012 A reader writes: During a recent interview, the interviewers were telling me about their expected timeline for making a decision, and I barely caught myself before saying something like, “Well, can you please let me know either way?” Do you think that it is appropriate to diplomatically say something like that in the course of […] Read the full article →
how to reject a job candidate by Alison Green on August 2, 2012 Most job applicants put a lot of effort into applying for jobs: reading up on the company, crafting a tailored cover letter, practicing answers to likely questions, and thinking about how they could best offer something of value. They may even take a day off work and spend time and money traveling to the interview. […] Read the full article →
how not to reply to a rejection email by Alison Green on April 30, 2012 When you get a rejection email, if you’re tempted to shoot back a reply, I strongly recommend that you wait a day to do it. Or at least a few hours. Otherwise, you risk sounding angry, defensive, or hot-headed. Good replies: thanking them for letting you know or asking for feedback. Bad replies: “You’re making a […] Read the full article →
how to reject job applicants when the position hasn’t been filled yet by Alison Green on March 13, 2012 A reader writes: I have a question about replying to job applicants who I have no intention of interviewing. Every time we post a job online, we get dozens of applications, and of course, only a few of them are people I want to call in for an interview. What’s the protocol for replying to […] Read the full article →