Question
I just got rejected at the end of a job interview. I don’t know what hit me harder, that the manager made a decision on the spot or that he told me! I admit it — I was flustered and couldn’t think of one thing to say except thank you, it was nice to meet you. What a dope! I never thought about this before. The manager asked me, “Is there anything else?” I mean, what could I have said?
Nick’s Reply
I have a simple rule when job hunting, no matter where in the process you are. You goal is to never walk away empty-handed. If you don’t get the job, your goal is to get at least one other name from the employer you’re talking with: a referral to another manager, another chance at a job.
It doesn’t matter whether a manager rejects you on the spot, or sometime after your interview.
Your time is worth a referral
Just because an interview does not lead to a job does not mean the interviewer does not know of a job for you. You have to judge whether the interviewer sees value in your skills even if you’re not the right hire. If you think the answer is yes, then ask for a referral. More specifically, ask one or more of the following questions:
- Does the interviewer think you might be able to help the company in some other department or division?
- Are there any other managers the manager would suggest you talk with?
- What are the company’s growth plans? Is there a future place for you?
- When would new positions likely open up? With what managers?
If this seems an awkward conversation at the end of a job interview, please get over it. Interviews don’t need to end with thank you and goodbye. You’re allowed to break the interview script and ask for the courtesy of a referral or recommendation. And you can do it even days after the interview.
HOLIDAY DEAL
Order any Ask The Headhunter e-books during the winter holidays and get 50% off your entire purchase. Enter discount code=HOLLY2025 at checkout. ORDER NOW! This offer is good on purchases of:
Fearless Job Hunting • Parting Company: How to leave your job • How to Work With Headhunters • Keep Your Salary Under Wraps • How Can I Change Careers
Makes a great gift for that job-hunting someone you’d like to help!
Limited time offer. ORDER NOW! Happy Holidays!
Same company, another department?
If there is another department you are particularly interested in, this is the time to do some of the research you’ll need. Ask about that department.
- What kinds of challenges is the department facing?
- What kinds of help does it need?
- Who manages it?
- If your interview took place in actual offices, would the interviewer be kind enough to introduce you to the manager on your way out? (If it’s not a good time for an introduction, don’t fret. You now have a reference when you call that manager later; you were referred by the interviewer you just met. The first manager might even be willing to recommend you.)
Another manager at another company?
No matter what business the interviewer is in, they likely know other people in the same or related businesses. This kind of referral often carries the greatest weight.
- Can the interviewer recommend another good company that might benefit from your skills? How about a specific manager?
- Is there someone the manager respects at another company who might be able to advise you?
- Which industry associations does the interviewer think are best? Is there a committee chairperson who might be able to provide you with good insights on the industry?
This all probably seems obvious, but few people do it. Few job seekers suggest to an interviewer that their time is worth a referral, especially if a good interview didn’t lead to a job offer.
It’s important for you to obtain names of people you can call on. It will help greatly if the manager gives you permission to use their name. Shake the interviewer’s hand, and say, “Thank you. Your comments and your advice mean a lot to me. If there’s ever anything I can do to help you or (the company), please call me.” Look the manager straight in the eye when you say this.
Walk away with a referral and possibly a new friend.
If you were to try this, how would you do it? What would you say? Can you think of any other out-of-the-box tactics to make even a rejection worth your time? How about contacting the hiring manager later on — to recommend a good possible candidate for the job you got rejected for?
: :
In my opinion being asked, “Is there anything else?” is a put down, a way to dismiss the applicant. I have dealt with belittling interviewers before. This is where I gather my dignity and walk away. I don’t want to work for someone like that.
Lots of people nowadays use the interview to not be nice to the applicant. It has happened to me twice.
Something is wrong with folks like that and asking them for a favor of another referral may be spitting in the wind. I guess you got nothing to lose at that point if you want to engage with them more.
@Kathy: It’s interesting you view the question as a put-down, but now I can “hear” that question posed in a snarky, rude manner. I wasn’t there and the OP offered no more details. I suppose I just gave the manager the benefit of the doubt.
However, I’ll admit that like you I often hear such things “the other way.”
What if there is no “other” manager I can talk to? Especially in a very small firm?
My son had to good fortune of turning rejection into a new position recently, at a large defense contractor.
He interviewed to a quality position with specific regional responsibilities. The company ultimately selected an internal candidate for that position.
But it was a “panel interview” with managers from other regions also participating. One of them also had a vacancy and asked about his interest (during the interview).
He was able to balance showing an interest and desire for the position he was being interviewed for with an openness to the other position just mentioned during the interview. In all honesty, he was more interested in the second position, but didn’t want to ruin his chances for the initial position being filled.
Whatever he said, it worked. He got picked up for the second position as soon as a decision was made on the first position. And he is loving it…
PS I started sending him ask the headhunter while he was still in college.
@Kevin: Thanks, I’ll take any implied credit you offer! ;-)
Your son is a smart person. He keeps his eye on the ball and can juggle another at the same time! For obvious reasons, smart managers recognize and value that ability. I’m happy to say my son is like that, too. Three years after his boss hired him, his boss moved on — and then hired him again.
What’s that insurance company motto? “It’s the company you keep!”
My compliments to your son, and thanks for sharing his story! Happy Holidays!
It has been quite awhile since being a career consultant, manager, life coach, recruiter, whatever, so my experience is dated, however. . . .
Back in the day, “referrals” were almost banned; fear of lawsuit. Same for any conversation about why a person was rejected. There was even a common rumor that even admitting a job seeker had been employed at another company was verboten.
I have always told job seekers that managers (good ones anyway) don’t like delivering bad news, and that there’s that brief moment when they’re telling you (even by email) that you didn’t get the job, where they’d do anything to feel better. And that’s the PERFECT time to have that “who else do you know” conversation with them – other managers or departments within the company, past colleagues, key customers or suppliers. You may get no help, but you won’t get ANY help without asking.
And for companies where as a candidate you’re dealing primarily with a talent person, a good attitude and positive engagement will make the talent person remember you and make you their first outreach for any similar roles.
I recently interviewed a candidate who I thought was really good. Not perfect for my job, but good enough that I thought I could mold the candidate to my needs and cover weaknesses in other ways (best is often the enemy of good enough). I passed the candidate on to the group interview round and the candidate basically made an unforced error in the interview and got slammed by others in the hiring panel. Basically, the candidate did not read the company culture information that I referred the candidate to after my one on one. Honestly, this candidate would not have received the job offer. The second candidate was a superstar. But, the candidate’s miscalculation killed the opportunity for other positions in the company.
Thinking back, I wish the candidate had reached back out to me to ask for more information. I would have provided it. The candidate screwed up and pushed some people’s buttons. But, the candidate was a good, qualified individual and really just needed a small tweak in approach to be more competitive for other positions in the industry as a whole.
My point, is that even if you cannot get a lead on another position or opportunity, you could also get some feedback to help make you more competitive.