Question:
I recently applied and interviewed for a exciting professional position in an organization that has a very good reputation. I knew that they were also considering several other applicants but felt that I stood an excellent chance of being hired. After my interview, the person with whom I met went on vacation for a week. Several days after she returned, I followed up by phone. Her secretary put me on hold and then came back on and curtly and coldly told me that they had selected a different applicant, thanked me for applying and hung up. I'm very puzzled and a bit upset because I felt that I would get the position or at least a professional rejection. I would like to find out why they treated me so rudely and selected a different candidate. Should I? If so, how?
First Answer:
As job seekers, we expect the companies to be as professional as their reputation. That would include notifying us promptly about job position decisions. That does not always happen. You had an unfortunate experience but there is probably nothing that you can do about it. When you called to check on the status of the position, the interviewer had an opportunity then to talk to you yet chose to let the secretary "break the news." Most companies will not give out reasons why a person is not hired because they fear that information could be used against them. My best advice to you is to move on. As much as you would like to know why you weren't hired, that situation is over. The next time you interview, you could ask "When do you plan to make a decision on the job?" How will we be notified of the decision?"
-- Linda Wyatt, Career Center Director, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Second Answer:
Your disappointment is understandable, but job candidates are often unable to discern how interviewers truly perceive them. I know many instances in which a candidate tells me how badly the interview went and a few days later receives a job offer, and many instances in which a candidate is sure an offer will follow a "great" interview and then never hears from the employer again. Good interviewers may try to make all candidates comfortable-or conduct stress interviews to compare how applicants behave under pressure-but they can and do keep a "poker face," be outwardly friendly, and keep their evaluations to themselves.
Employers will rarely tell you why they selected another applicant beyond "we offered the job to a more qualified candidate." The top finalists for a position are often equally qualified to do the job, and the final decision may come down to the issue of fit: the "chemistry" a hiring manager establishes with a candidate, or the comparative strength of references, factors you can't know.
There is no excuse for the rude treatment you received from your interviewer's secretary, but it probably reflects a poorly trained individual rather than anything about your candidacy. A polite, "professional" rejection will still not enlighten you about the reasoning behind the employer's choice. For these reasons, I don't think you are going to get a satisfactory answer to either of your questions. Very occasionally, an employer will tell you where you fell short, so it doesn't hurt to ask, athough in this case I think it's too late.
More productive might be what is known as an "aw shucks" letter, written to your interviewer, expressing your continued interest in the organization and stating that you'd like to be considered for a future opportunity to contribute to it. Remember, a job interview is not just about the specific job you're interviewing for; it's really an entrée into the organization so that you become known within it. If your interviewer really did like you, he or she may want to propose you as a candidate for a future job. For samples, see pages 176-178 of
Interview for Success : A Practical Guide to Increasing Job Interviews, Offers, and Salaries by Caryl Rae Kranich and Ronald L. Krannich (Impact Publications, 1998).
-- Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.
