After the interview: What to Do When You Don’t Get the Offer

There may be nothing more frustrating to a job seeker than going through several rounds of interviews with a company, only to not be offered a job—or an explanation.  What should you do if you find yourself in this position?

Ask for feedback

If you feel like you established a solid rapport with your interviewer but didn’t ultimately land the job, you can always ask them if there’s anything you can do to improve your performance going forward in the interview process.  You may receive very positive feedback to the tune of, “You were absolutely great, but we hired someone who was just a little better qualified.”  Conversely, you might receive constructive information to help you improve, such as, “We didn’t think that you adequately researched the position before we talked.”  Either way, if you feel comfortable asking for feedback, getting another person’s perspective on your interviewing skills can be invaluable.

Connect on LinkedIn

Let’s say that you come in second for a job, and the company you interviewed with lets you know their reasoning when they deliver the bad news.  If you got beat out by someone who was just a slightly better candidate, you might consider connecting with your interviewer on LinkedIn and asking them to keep you in mind for future opportunities.  If the interviewer was truly impressed with you, you can capture that momentum and use it to establish an ongoing relationship.

It’s important to realize that some people you meet during the interview process will not feel comfortable continuing to communicate with you afterwards.  Don’t take this personally—company policy may not even permit them to do so.  However, for those who work in an environment that allows them to provide you feedback or continue building a professional relationship with you, making the effort to build that connection can be an asset to your job search.