I had an in-person interview today and they sent me a rejection email three hours later.

16 Comments

1. Anne M GinsbergFebruary 29,2024 at 8:03PM UTC

   Move forward with your job search. That's all you can do. I've had interviews that I thought went so well and have gotten rejection emails that same day or the next. It is probably not you; they don't know what they want. It's too bad they can't figure that out before wasting their time and candidates' time interviewing.

2. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 8:20PM UTC

   I guess look at the positive: that's time you don't have to spend wandering and worrying whether or not you got the job or moving to the next round or still waiting to hear something, anything 6 months later.

   Keep plugging away at it. You'll get there.

3. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 1:45AM UTC

   Well said!!!

4. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 9:11PM UTC

   Well that stinks. It may be you were a 'just in case' interview and the odds were never in your favor because they already had their pick, they just had to interview X number of people as per their policy. Or it may be that you went to Brown U. and your interviewer was rejected from that school. You won't know. I am on the job hunt too and what helps me is that I journal after each interview with "what I feel good about", "what I am not sure about" and "what I think may be a red flag (like lack of skills." That helps me put it in perspective. Some of my best interviews have led me nowhere or to a quick rejection. Sometime when I don't feel good about it, I go to the next round. It is just plain unpredictable.

5. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 1:44AM UTC

   I'm not the OP but I've been there. Love your perspective!

6. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 9:12PM UTC

   Totally sucks. On the other hand, it also totally sucks when they leave you hanging for several weeks and then finally tell you they are passing. Or if they ghost you.

   On the bright side - you got an interview, so you're doing something right. Get back in the saddle - you can do this.

7. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 9:53PM UTC

   You start again tomorrow.

8. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 11:00PM UTC

   That happened to me. But it was more like 25 minutes after the interview.

9. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 11:57PM UTC

   I'm so sorry. This just sucks.

10. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 12:39AM UTC

    Happened to me. Only I found out about rejection via online account when I looked. They rejected me 5m after interview AFTER saying what a great fit, impressive portfolio, etc

11. JJMarch 1,2024 at 12:50AM UTC

    Sending hugs. My job search was years-long and brutal. Now that I have been at my job long enough to get grumpy, I actively remind myself of those long hard days to stir a sense of gratitude.

12. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 1:05AM UTC

    Take the rest of your day to yourself and get back at it the next day. Things don't always work out but that's just motivation to go on!

    I went to an in-person interview once and the owner was 'busy'- talking to people in their office, FULLY aware I was there. People walked in and out of the office several times and looked at me, and the receptionist went in to remind them once I was waiting.

    I waited for 30 minutes past my scheduled interview time before getting up, saying "I'm sorry but I cannot wait any longer. You can have the owner call me back to reschedule." And left.

    By the time I got home 20 minutes later I had been rejected on Indeed. Never got any messgae or apology. I felt bad for the recpetionist, they looked so embarassed over it all. But I knew instantly that the owner was probably playing some sort of 'game' and I didn't apply to play games.

    I left a bad review on their Indeed page about it and it dropped their rating. Had they said sorry or at least reached out then I wouldn't have done it, but if someone does that to me I am THE person to take the time to write a review about it. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

13. Star7March 1,2024 at 4:06AM UTC

    Tip: yellow pages are potential employers

14. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 10:31AM UTC

    Remember - you only need one "yes". Keep going. In my recent experience, I was rejected twice, but the third interview was a "yes" and the job was a better fit than either of the previous two.

    Consider also that there might have been something about the situation that you didn't know, but would have made the position not a fit from your perspective even. You may have "dodged a bullet". You never know!

15. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 1:38PM UTC

    So sorry you had that experience.

    Something to consider: it might have nothing to do with you.
    They may have an internal candidate in mind but had to go through the motions of conducting a comprehensive search. You may have done great, but that wouldn’t matter if they’d already made a decision.
    That happened to me and it was a huge knock to my confidence. The hiring manager was apologetic about it, but at least he was honest. If that company doesn’t see your worth then they don’t deserve you.

16. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 4:31PM UTC

    A crucial thing to remember is that you had the interview before the rejection. Keep going, and the right one will come along. I suspect they had already decided on another candidate and brought you in to cover a requirement for x number of interviews before an offer is placed. If you need help interviewing, contact someone in your network or a job coach to see if anyone will take you through a "mock interview." The more you practice, the better you will get.