How to handle job search rejections

This article seemed fitting of sharing as with so many of you out of work and so many people vying for the same jobs. I have talked to so many of you who have had great interviews and even great feedback, yet were not the candidate of choice when the final decision was made. It is definately different time for recruiting and for anyone that is in job search mode! This article is by Charles Purdy, Yahoo!

You had high hopes for this job: The job requirements matched your skill set perfectly. You aced your interviews. And you imagined hearing those sweet words so many of us long to hear: "You're hired."

Instead, you got another rejection letter. According to recent U.S. Labor Department data, 5.5 unemployed Americans, on average, are vying for each job opening--so most interviews will end in rejection. And that can be a crushing blow--but it can also be a career-making moment. When you don't get the job, what should your next steps be?

Don't beat yourself up about it.

John Kador, the author of "301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview," second edition (McGraw-Hill), recommends that you try to learn from each rejection--while understanding that it may not be your fault. "Sometimes you didn't do anything wrong," he says. "Someone else was more qualified or more connected. Companies sometimes go through the motions of interviewing applicants when they've already selected a candidate. While the experience is still fresh in your mind, writing down what you've learned may help you put a positive spin on the experience--and give you something to refer to later, according to Lewis Lin, of SeattleInterviewCoach.com.

Be gracious in defeat.

How you conduct yourself after a rejection letter can determine whether that recruiter will consider you again--or perhaps refer you to another recruiter. Liz Lynch, the author of "Smart Networking" (McGraw-Hill), says, "Send a handwritten card thanking them again for their time, reiterating your interest in the company, and expressing your hope that they'll keep you in mind for future positions. And whatever you do, do not diss them on your blog!"

Ask for feedback.

Kador advises saying that you accept the recruiter's decision before you ask for feedback: "No one will talk to you if they think you're going to argue or appeal." If you don't trust yourself to keep your cool, you may want to skip asking for feedback. If you do ask, email is the best medium. "Telephoning is probably too intrusive," says Lynch. "And whatever feedback you hear, don't be defensive." Lin cautions that "you'll get canned responses most of the time" due to fears about legal issues, but he recommends phrasing your request for feedback like this: "If you don't mind me asking, do you have any feedback on how I can improve for future interviews?" He adds, "You want to keep the conversation as professional as possible. Who knows? You could be their backup candidate."

Keep trying.

In most cases, you should actively pursue new openings at the company. The phrase "we'll keep your resume on file" is usually an attempt to soften the rejection, according to Kador, who says you should keep applying for relevant jobs and staying in touch with the recruiters you've met. "If a posting says no calls,' I wouldn't call," he says. "But that doesn't mean you can't write."

Bring the recruiter into your professional network.

If, down the road, you can help the interviewer or recruiter by recommending a candidate, for instance, or forwarding a relevant article, Kador says you should "go for it--make yourself known as a resource." Lynch, too, recommends keeping in touch with the hiring manager in a "low-key way" and says that, when you do land a position, you should write him or her a note and include your new business card. Then you can send the manager an invitation to connect on LinkedIn so you can easily stay in touch.

Twitter..Facebook...Linked in & More!

I got into a great and lengthy conversation with a colleague of mine recently about the value (or lack of!) with social media and professional networking internet sites.

While sites like Twitter, Facebook. Myspace, Linked In, etc. can be extremely useful...they can also be your downfall for a variety of reasons! All I ever hear from fellow recruiters and canidates is how vital it is to use these sites as a means for branding and self promotion. For me personally, I can barely manage to get through returning everynes phone calls, let alone find time to post and update so many different sites. I just don't have time!

Of the many sites out there, I personally use Facebook (for personal) and Linked In (for profesional) the most, and it is often sporadic and infrequent that I even use them. I don't use these sites too frequently as far as using it to stay in touch with candidates/clients. My personal opinion is that it becomes way too time consuming (almost addictive in many cases), it can seem somewhat self serving in many ways to utilize these sites in that way and also because it is not private. I am however signed up for many, if not most of these sites. However, if you are looking to stay in touch with me..call me! Please don't rely on my twitter, facebook or linked in or blog updates. They are far too impersonal and time consuming for me to utilize too frequently.

On the flip side, how else do you reach out and stay in touch with so many people all at once? In that instance, I do see the value these sites hold, yet think they have gotten out of hand with so many people trying to "brand" themselves, while in the process have done nothing but oversaturate themselves in a big old sea of other recruiter or job seekers or industry experts. Take recruiters for instance...many recruiters use these sites to try and brand themselves, yet I think it potentially and often comes off as more self serving/self righteous and creates other problems as a result.

It is incredibly easy to get lost amidst the 100th recruiter that posted or retweeted something on twitter... Afterall, if a good, busy recruiter is really that busy, how can they possibly have time to update their facebook and twitter and other feeds so often?! That being said, I do and have gotten some very good recruiting tips and links from other postings, but get them more when on downtime and catching up with friends/family on Facebook updates - like at 2 in the morning when I can't sleep! : ) I am on facebook more for a personal aspect to put a face with a name for so many of you that I would otherwise not meet unless we happened to be at the same trade show or industry event. I use this Blog as a resource to share an occassional interesting article or announcement and can often go for months without posting anything at all. I use emails or email distribution lists to send news or job announcements ad netwoking As most of you know, I have a hard time keeping up with managing those results and phone calls as I am only one person! Send out an email to a few hundred people about an exciting job and chances are a good percentage of those people will call you back. That is probably my biggest struggle currently in trying to manage contact with everyone that calls me or returns my call. Most of you know, I have always had that problem though... : )

Many sites are becoming more and more popular as a means to stay in touch and also reconnect with former colleagues or to be found by prospective employers. However, in my opinion the best way (fo me anyway!) is good old fashioned telephone as the best means of not only staying in touch, but also keeping information private!

Don't come off as desparate in your job search

Felt this article from undercoverrecrtuier.com was worth sharing with so many of you out of work currently and seemingly getting and feeling desparate in your job search!

One of my clients told me the other day that they posted as ad and were inundated with resumes and phone calls almost immediately. The VP at this company said his secretary received numerous phone calls, many desparate to try and get in front of him for this job opening...a few even lied and claimed to be a long lost friend and in one case family (!!) to try and get through! His comment was that it was more irritating than impressive to be hounded and felt almost harrassed by the response by not only job seekers but also recruiters.

Recruiters are often as bad as a desparate candidate, if not worse. Sadly, the majority do not know how to market effectively and as such make every call a cold call. That is often how sending your resume or calling over and over again to the same company or recruiter can be seen. While you may think you are getting your name out there...getting your name out there by using tactics of despration and oversaturation of your name/resume just doesn't work. In fact it is a huge turn off and people will remember and sssociate your name with those unfavorable tactics for a long time coming! My client has since pulled the ad and hired me exclusively to fill the position! Certainly a good thing for recruiters with so many people out of work and often coming off as so deparate in their job search as the potential for ticking off employers is high if you stray from a level of professionalism in your job search efforts. Enjoy the article from undercoverrecruiter's blog below!

Just like in the world of dating, looking desperate is not going to get you anywhere in your job search. When someone sees the glint of desperation in your eye, they question your motives and you lose credibility in an instant. Sure, there is a correlation of number of job applications and number of interviews you land but what if you could get the ratio down to one interview per application? Or even better, how about getting interviews without applying?

The old school way of applying for jobs is not really working in today’s economy. Employers are inundated with resumes from hopeful jobseekers, sometimes receiving hundreds of applicants for one single position. Employers also tend to get a great deal of open applications that are not related to any particular jobs. This indicates that the applicant is on the desperate side and just wants the employer's brand on their resume.

Recruiters constantly have adverts out for various positions in their field. These adverts will render a number of applications on a daily basis, mainly from candidates adhering to the ‘spray and pray’ methodology. Anyone that sends the same resume and cover letter email to 20 positions in one day will have to be classified as desperate and recruiters run to the hills when they see it. Simply applying for any job that is out there and even for jobs that aren't out there is not going to be the way forward. All it does is putting the desperate stamp on your resume and yourself.

The typical 'expert' advice in a tough market would be to call up the recruiter and/or employer and make sure they read your resume and put you at the top of the pile. In this day and age, this won’t make you stand out and if anything you will only come across as desperate and ascertain your resume goes either to the bottom of the pile or in the trash can. A hiring manager wants enthusiasm from a new employee, not desperation.

Of course you should try everything, but you only get one chance with each company and you want to make it count. Instead of you applying, imagine being headhunted or even contacted direct by a hiring manager. This would put you you in a much stronger bargaining position which you can leverage from, especially if get a job offer.

Have high standards and only agree to look at jobs that you really want. An interviewer can spot an opportunist jobseeker a mile away. By only applying for the right roles for you, you will save time and effort for the ones that really count. Furthermore, recruiters and employers will respect your integrity and remember you for the next opportunity they have that is more relevant to your preferences.

Do whatever it takes for the recruiter or employer to contact you instead of vice versa. There are a number of methods to achieving this, one is to get yourself referred to a recruiter via somebody else. Another way is to work away on your personal branding, start getting active online, give talks in your field and raise your profile.

Take a long-term approach to your career and work on your personal brand today. Start writing blog posts about your industry, zeroing in on a few companies with the help of social networking, get active in online groups and forums, grow your professional and social network, keep a dialogue going with your favorite recruiters, head up industry events, the list goes on and on…

The point I am making is that you want to turn the table and be different to other jobseekers. You don’t want to be pushy, if anything you should be pushed into an interview. Just like the dating game, the hard-to-gets seem to get lots of offers and can pick and choose. Avoid looking desperate, keep your high standards and dignity when looking for the next position and I am convinced you will fare better than ever.