Despite our best efforts, sometimes we get to the end of a grueling multi-round interview process and it ends with a flat-out rejection. 

Being turned down for a role after weeks (or months!) of waiting and hoping is a major bummer, but it certainly happens.

This raises the question, what should you do when you don’t get the job? Should you respond? Should you ask for feedback?

Believe it or not, getting rejected for a job is not necessarily the end of the road. Especially if you have made it through a few rounds of interviews, it’s safe to assume that the company and team really liked you but ultimately decided to go in a different direction. 

Regardless of the circumstances, I do think there are some best practices when it comes to handling job rejections. Below I’ll share 4 tips to keep in mind and we’ll also put together an email template as we go.

Respond Diplomatically

Regardless of the situation, it is always worth it to respond to a job rejection. I usually recommend taking a few minutes to absorb the news before crafting a response so the emotions are taken out of the equation.

Start your response with something like this:

Hi [contact], Thanks for getting back to me. While this isn’t the news I was hoping for, I really enjoyed meeting the team and going through the interview process.

Ask for feedback

Hearing feedback can be tough but it truly is a gift, especially when it comes to interviewing. While many companies won’t be able to share feedback (it’s a legal thing) you might come across someone who will give you a tip you can use in your job search going forward.

Moral of the story – while you’re not always going to get it, it’s always worth it to ask.

Adding onto our template from above, you can say:

As someone who is constantly looking to grow and develop, I was wondering if you had any feedback you would be willing to share with me. 

Keep the relationship open

I personally have turned people down for specific jobs (for various reasons) but have gone back and hired them in the future. I can tell you that it happens.

As a recruiter, sometimes you are hiring for a job and have two amazing candidates. You are forced to split hairs and ultimately turn down a perfect candidate. This is why it’s important to keep the relationship open and see if your contacts at the company would like to stay in touch.

Adding onto our template:

Additionally, I am still very interested in working for [company name] and I would love to keep in touch for future roles. I will plan to keep my eye on the careers site and check in from time to time.

Thank them

I know, I know… thanking someone for a job rejection seems absurd, but stick with me here. What we’re trying to do is to keep your chances as high as possible to get a job in the future. Being gracious is part of that strategy.

To wrap up our template:

Thank you again for your time throughout the interview process. I enjoyed getting to know you and the rest of the [company name] team and look forward to keeping in touch!

Putting it all together: a template

Hi [contact], Thanks for getting back to me. While this isn’t the news I was hoping for, I really enjoyed meeting the team and going through the interview process. As someone who is constantly looking to grow and develop, I was wondering if you had any feedback that you would be willing to share with me. 

Additionally, I am still very interested in working for [company name] and I would love to keep in touch for future roles. I will plan to keep my eye on the careers site and check in from time to time.

Thank you again for your time throughout the interview process. I enjoyed getting to know you and the rest of the [company name] team and look forward to keeping in touch!