Ask a Manager

Ever wonder what went on behind the scenes when you receive a job rejection? Or whether a human even looked at your resume before you got rejected? Or why employers sometimes send cringe-worthy rejection emails? Here are answers to these and more questions about job rejections. 1. “Is this a form letter?” Yes, probably. When an […]

A reader writes: I have recently dipped my toe into the online dating pool. Like many straight women, I’m finding myself absolutely overwhelmed with messages … and, like many, I delete most of them without replying. But I’m also an avid AAM reader, and would certainly not do such a thing at work. As a […]

A reader writes: I applied for a position six weeks ago. After two weeks of silence, I contacted the hiring manager inquiring about the timeline and was told to be patient, things are taking longer than anticipated. So I did not send any further queries. I should also note that I held a previous job […]

A reader writes: I just found out that a position I was a finalist for was offered to another candidate. While I tried not to get my hopes up throughout the interview process, as I moved further along I inevitably started to get excited about the possibility of working at this new company. The company […]

If you applied for a promotion and got turned down, you’re probably feeling pretty rejected. Being passed over for a job never feels great, but it can be a particularly bitter pill when you’re turned down by people who you see every day and who know your work well. But a “no” or a “not […]

A reader writes: I have a question regarding applicants who, after being interviewed and rejected more than once, apply over and over again. I have one applicant who has been interviewed twice, rejected twice, and keeps sending new applications. The first time she was interviewed was two years ago by our previous recruitment coordinator, and […]

A reader writes: How can I make getting to the final round of interviews – and not getting the job – count for something? Yesterday I received the news that I did not get the job at a great charity. It was a role that I have not come across before, and it would have […]

A reader writes: I’ve been applying to a few jobs here and there and I recently received this rejection letter: Hi, OK, it’s that email you didn’t want to get, no beating around the bush, we are afraid that we won’t be taking your application to the next stage. We know rejection is tough and […]

A reader writes: I’m a firm believer in following up with every single applicant, interviewed or not. When would you say is ideal time to send out a rejection letter? The thing with rejections is that if you send them really quickly, people often feel stung — like you couldn’t possibly have given them sufficient […]