How to Handle Rejection After a Promotion Interview

You’ve heard of a post-interview thank you note. Now get ready for the post-rejection thank you note! I see WAY too many job seekers viewing rejection as the end of the line. They cut ties with everyone at the company. These are people you spent 30-60+ minutes connecting with! They know your value, they know what you offer. They can be some of the best leads for new roles if you let them. So instead of letting rejection be the end of the line… Send a Post-Rejection Thank You note! Here's how to write one in 4 parts: 1. Thank them for taking the time to consider you 2. Wish them a ton of success with the hire they made 3. Mentioned specific things that you loved about the company, team, and speaking with them! 4. Ask if it'd be ok for you to stay in touch For example: "Hi Jamie, Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me last week! I heard the team made a hire, I'm super excited for you all and I'm wishing you a ton of success with [Initiative]. I really enjoyed interviewing at [Company], and I especially enjoyed our chat about the future of blockchain in the health tech space. If you're up for it, I'd love to stay in touch! Either way, have an awesome rest of the week." Now set a calendar invite to follow up with these people once / month. Aim to add value with your touch points. I promise they'll lead you to more opportunities.

Make sure you're taking a long-term view while searching for your next role - that's how you build a career, not just land a job! Three pro-moves: 1. Respond with grace to every rejection and use it as an opportunity to reaffirm your interest in the company more broadly. Why: If you make it pretty far through a process (past the hiring manager), the company likes you and sees a strong match. You would likely do well there, even if another candidate wins out for this role. A positive reaction to a rejection helps strengthen the relationship with the team, and let's them know the door is open to the future. Real Life Results: I've seen others share their successes; I can personally tell you I've received 3 offers from places that have previously rejected me, and 2 were when they circled back within a few weeks to months of a rejection, with another opportunity. Ex. "Thank you so much for this update! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed because COMPANY was truly my top choice, and a place I know I would thrive, but I'm so glad you found a strong match for this opportunity, it's an awesome role and team!! This process has been wonderful and only strengthened my interest in working with COMPANY so I hope you'll keep me in mind for similar opportunities - I'll be keeping my eyes peeled too. Careers are long and I hope we'll have the chance to be colleagues one day!" 2. Take that interview, even if something about the opportunity is less than ideal. Why: Maybe the comp is low, maybe title isn't quite what you wanted. But it's still a chance to learn more and network. If the company is of interest to you, take the chance to learn more. Yes there's an opportunity cost in terms of your time, but it may be worth it to get some networking in. Real Life Results: I've shared before that the initial salary range I was quoted for my job at Zapier was lower than what I would have expected...I continued any way, and fortunately managed to get leveled up which landed me an offer I was happy to accept! In the past, accepting an interview for a job in a location I was not willing to go to also landed me a great opportunity. Ex. There isn't one. Just say yes if there's something appealing - you might decline this opportunity, but open the door to an even better one! 3. Keep in touch with people after networking chats, interviews, etc. Why: Anyone you've met with once is in your network. When you share updates, you keep the lines of communication open. This makes it easier to make an ask in the future, and also keeps you top of mind for them! Real Life Results: This approach has helped me get referrals or connections to hiring managers, some of which have led to offers. Ex. "I know we chatted a few months ago - since our conversation, I completed my certification through PMI, and moved into an agile-focused role in my dept. I'm still interested in opportunities with COMPANY in the future, so certainly keep me in mind in the future!"

Raise your hand if you like to be rejected? 💁♀️ Nobody. Nobody likes to be rejected. But in the job search, this is a reality that almost every candidate faces (and news that every recruiter and hiring manager dreads giving). But... how do you respond to that rejection? Especially if the reason for rejection is not a no forever, but a no right now? This is not the time to show a low EQ. Or to lash out. Or to bash the company online for not hiring you. Or to say something snotty to the team that recruited you, even if you disagree with the feedback. Recently, we were recruiting for a development position and we had a wonderful candidate, a referral, who did very well in the interview process. But this applicant was missing a critical skill for the job and the team simply did not have the time to train and meet the project deadlines they had. We provided the feedback to the applicant, who was naturally disappointed. But this person wrote a wonderful note outlining their desire to work at this company, their work they had already done towards learning that skill, and asked that we share it with the hiring team. We assured the candidate that this no was not a no forever and encouraged that person to keep lines of communication open and that we would think of them if anything changed. Fast forward and less than 2 months later a new headcount was approved. The hiring managers did not want to conduct another full search or interview process. They wanted to go straight to this candidate (if they were still available) and make the offer. Both candidate and company were thrilled it worked out. While this is a best case scenario, and I acknowledge many don't always have two months to wait, imagine how this would have played out if the candidate had reacted to the rejection differently? As a leader who hires myself and as someone who has been responsible for thousands of placements in my career, I see all too often when rejection gets the better of people. And their reaction to that rejection changes a "not now" or "not the right time" response to a hard no. And rightfully so. Just because one position didn't work out for you at that time, doesn't mean that another one at that same company won't be a fit. Or that as soon as the next role opens, that they won't immediately think of you and call you first for that next opening!

The worst thing you can do after receiving a rejection is to abandon the relationship you’ve built with the recruiter or hiring manager. If you’re tempted to walk away because of a “no,” try looking at it from a different angle. You never know what other opportunities could come your way. When I was rejected from Apple in the semi-final round, I reached back out to the recruiter, highlighted two other roles I was qualified for, and asked if she could introduce me to the respective hiring teams. Because of how I performed throughout the process and the genuine connection I developed with her, she sent two introductory emails on my behalf. Although I ultimately didn’t land those positions, I gained new contacts and received positive feedback on my file. Here’s my three-step process after a rejection: 1. Follow Up 2. Research other roles you qualify for 3. Send your findings to the recruiter/hiring manager and keep the conversation going You never know what might happen: recruiters and hiring managers could move to other companies where you might be a perfect fit. Or you might discover another role that leads to a “yes.” Don’t underestimate the power of maintaining relationships and following up. #StephSynergy