Today I will send out 3 "thank you for your interest, but..." letters to job seekers. All three of these candidates are talented, accomplished individuals. Based on their eagerness and effort during the interview process, I think they are going to be disappointed with the outcome. Sending the news is not a task I am looking forward to.
But I also know that ultimately I am doing these folks a favor by setting them free to find a position that will be a good match for their skills, interests and work styles. They just aren't right for this particular job. Myself, the Hiring Manager and a peer have all carefully interviewed them against the criteria for the position, and key cultural factors for the organization. In our debrief neetng, we spent extensive time discussing the conversation that occurred with candidates at each interview session, and challenging ourselves to see if there was more information we should gather (i.e., perhaps have another interview) before we made the decision to say no. We determined that we just don't have a match. If we hired one of them (just to selfishly meet our own desire to get the job filled) we know that we would eventually end up unhappy with them, or they would be unhappy with us. Better to have the pain now, than later.
So if you have heard "no" recently during your job search effort - please don't get down about it. Be encouraged that there really is a great place for you in the world of work. Consider the "no" that you heard as a gift - it is saving you from being in a situation that is not a good match and opening the door for you to find the place that is.
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