Just because you got turned down by a company for a job, it does not mean it has to be the end of the story. A friend interviewed at a company for a Paid Search Marketing position. He went for several rounds and everyone liked him but they turned him down saying they wanted someone with more experience. While he was disappointed, he graciously thanked them for the opportunity and continued his job search efforts.
A month later, he saw another position at this same company and decided to apply. It wasn’t a perfect fit but he liked the company. When he applied, the folks that interviewed him before saw that and called him instead for the first position. They asked him to interview another round with them, which he did. Last week, he got an offer as a Paid Search Analyst.
Moral of the story: never rule out a second chance with a company. You never know, they may just give you a job. His lesson learned are:
- Maintain good relationship even if a company turn you down – express your interest and accept that it just didn’t work out. You want to leave them with a good impression just in case
- Don’t complain about anything – I know I talked about this before but you will be amazed how many people want to give company “feedback” on their recruiting process after they are turned down. They in fact completely burned their second chance even if it’s well-intentioned. This person didn’t complain and went with the flow. Even when he was asked to interview again after having interviewed with everyone already, he did it with enthusiasm. That attitude definitely helped his chances
- Be open-minded – He decided to apply for another position at the same company. Some people may not do that thinking if they are already turned down for one position, why bother? well, his story should make you think twice
Second chances are definitely possible for the same position at the same company. My other post on Being Proactive Pays is another good example. If I know two people in the last year where this happened, then perhaps it can happen to you too. Good luck out there.
– Lei