Being Ghosted After an Interview
"Success is buried on the other side of rejection."
-Tony Robbins (http://quoteistan.com/)
You've finally made it.
Your diploma is hung in a picture frame on your bedroom wall. Your laminated portfolios and resumes sit on your desk, ready to be opened by future employers. You have just published the final edits on your LinkedIn profile.
You are a graduated college student, eager to share your knowledge and talents with others in a full-time position.
Hours are spent customizing cover letters, sending out applications, and meeting in-person, only to be disheartened when staring at an empty inbox each morning.
We have all experienced rejection from a job at some point, no matter how qualified or well-prepared you may be.
Not being chosen for the role can crush your spirits. Receiving nothing but silence after what you thought was a killer interview can be a real blow to your self-esteem.
Being ghosted never feels good. It will hurt to know that the time, energy, and money you invested in interviewing wasn't deserving of a response. And if you are passionate about the company and the work they do, it can absolutely devastate you not to hear back.
However, you must not allow those negative experiences to ruin your streak of confidence. It takes a lot of courage to walk into an office of strangers and convince them that you are the best, especially when you aren't so sure that you are. Though you may not have the motivation to send your resume elsewhere, never lose faith in your abilities and don't let it hold you back from putting your name out there. The next interview you're invited to could be the best one yet.
Think back to when you met the interviewer. Did they mention a time frame that you should expect to hear from them? If they're only a few days late, don't sweat it. They could still be in the decision process. If it's been a week or more, you could try sending a follow-up email. If you still do not receive word from the company, don't beat yourself up about it. There could still be dozens of reasons why they wouldn't respond but it's best to work on moving past it.
While you should aim to bounce back as quickly as possible, sometimes you need a minute. It's tough to be left without answers but a bit of reflection time could help bring clarity on ways to improve yourself for next time. Work on tweaking your techniques and revising your responses. It could never hurt to refine your practice.
If you are still finding yourself to be in a rut, reach out to your support group. Whether it be a friend, a family member or a counselor, it may be helpful to have an outside perspective. It can be easy to feel embarrassed about the outcome of an interview, especially if you've shared how excited you were to hear back. It's important to remember that those closest to you should never shame your failures but instead put forward their best efforts to see you succeed. If you voice your situation to others, you are opening an opportunity to receive insight on their experiences and maybe even gain a networking connection. It can also simply help to heal any damage to your self-assurance by hearing your emotions be validated.
The truth is that you may never find out exactly why you didn't hear back. And, although it is totally wrong to dead-end a candidate, many industries have normalized it as a legitimate response to someone who didn't make the cut.
It sucks. It really does. But it's an important part of self-care to prepare yourself for getting back on your feet after you've been knocked down.
Don't let anyone dim your shine, Sippers!
Sending love, always.
-Nature of the Girl ♡
-Tony Robbins (http://quoteistan.com/)
You've finally made it.
Your diploma is hung in a picture frame on your bedroom wall. Your laminated portfolios and resumes sit on your desk, ready to be opened by future employers. You have just published the final edits on your LinkedIn profile.
You are a graduated college student, eager to share your knowledge and talents with others in a full-time position.
Hours are spent customizing cover letters, sending out applications, and meeting in-person, only to be disheartened when staring at an empty inbox each morning.
We have all experienced rejection from a job at some point, no matter how qualified or well-prepared you may be.
Not being chosen for the role can crush your spirits. Receiving nothing but silence after what you thought was a killer interview can be a real blow to your self-esteem.
Being ghosted never feels good. It will hurt to know that the time, energy, and money you invested in interviewing wasn't deserving of a response. And if you are passionate about the company and the work they do, it can absolutely devastate you not to hear back.
However, you must not allow those negative experiences to ruin your streak of confidence. It takes a lot of courage to walk into an office of strangers and convince them that you are the best, especially when you aren't so sure that you are. Though you may not have the motivation to send your resume elsewhere, never lose faith in your abilities and don't let it hold you back from putting your name out there. The next interview you're invited to could be the best one yet.
Think back to when you met the interviewer. Did they mention a time frame that you should expect to hear from them? If they're only a few days late, don't sweat it. They could still be in the decision process. If it's been a week or more, you could try sending a follow-up email. If you still do not receive word from the company, don't beat yourself up about it. There could still be dozens of reasons why they wouldn't respond but it's best to work on moving past it.
While you should aim to bounce back as quickly as possible, sometimes you need a minute. It's tough to be left without answers but a bit of reflection time could help bring clarity on ways to improve yourself for next time. Work on tweaking your techniques and revising your responses. It could never hurt to refine your practice.
If you are still finding yourself to be in a rut, reach out to your support group. Whether it be a friend, a family member or a counselor, it may be helpful to have an outside perspective. It can be easy to feel embarrassed about the outcome of an interview, especially if you've shared how excited you were to hear back. It's important to remember that those closest to you should never shame your failures but instead put forward their best efforts to see you succeed. If you voice your situation to others, you are opening an opportunity to receive insight on their experiences and maybe even gain a networking connection. It can also simply help to heal any damage to your self-assurance by hearing your emotions be validated.
The truth is that you may never find out exactly why you didn't hear back. And, although it is totally wrong to dead-end a candidate, many industries have normalized it as a legitimate response to someone who didn't make the cut.
It sucks. It really does. But it's an important part of self-care to prepare yourself for getting back on your feet after you've been knocked down.
Don't let anyone dim your shine, Sippers!
Sending love, always.
-Nature of the Girl ♡
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