They can send you through weeks of interviews, decide they don’t want you, and then never speak to you again. It is the most frustrating and disrespectful thing you’ll have to deal with during your job search.
I know I hate it when that happens. I’ve had companies do several phone interviews, hours of in person interviews, and multiple programming tests just to never update me on my status. In all honesty, if a company makes you do all of that work they at least owe you an automated rejection email.
But despite what we’re told as job seekers, companies don’t give you the same courtesies that you’re expected to give them so you have to be ready to deal with it. Here’s a few things that you can do if you feel like you’ve been ghosted:
Accept that you’ve been ghosted.
This can be hard to do, but if you haven’t heard back from a company in about 2 weeks you should consider yourself ghosted. Make sure you always ask when you can expect to hear back at the end of an interview so you have a time frame. But a good rule of thumb is 2 weeks.
At that point you have to suck up any pride or hope you had for that job and let it go. It might be difficult to do after you’ve invested a lot of time, but it’s for the best. Give yourself a day or two to mourn and move on. Just like there was another candidate for that position, there are other opportunities for you.
Send your interviewer an email after a reasonable amount of time. If you didn’t get a time frame in the interview then 2 weeks is a reasonable amount. Timing is important here because you don’t want to seem desperate or impatient.
Make sure you keep your email message short and polite. You might feel like calling them jerks for not getting back to you sooner but you can’t let that come through in the email. You can say something like:
Hi (interviewer name), This is (your name) and I just wanted to check in. I’m sure things are busy, but I just wanted to see if you needed anything else from me. Just let me know! Thanks, (Your Name)
This is one of many ways you can email an interviewer. Just try not to sound too pushy. The only exception is if you have another offer and you really like this other place more. If that’s the case then by all means play your hand.
Realize that this isn’t the end of the world.
Even if you really liked that job and you don’t have anything else on the horizon, this isn’t the end. Like I said earlier take a day or two to feel bad about this and then immediately move on. Start putting in applications again and start networking.
You will find something that suits you. I know it might not happen as fast as you’d like or be exactly where you want it, but it will happen. Don’t let this one companies rudeness be the thing that tears you down. I know it sucks looking for a job when you need one right now. Believe me I know. But you will never get one if you give up.
Getting ghosted can break you down more than getting rejected because you still have that glimmer of hope. Take the time to make yourself understand that it’s not you. It’s just those inconsiderate people who don’t understand how much this means to you. Keep going my friend!
Try to turn it into fuel.
One day you’ll get ghosted after you jump through all of the hoops and you won’t be sad at all. You’ll be pissed. It’ll be one of many times that it’s happened and you just won’t have the energy to be sad anymore.
Don’t let your anger make you last out at the company or more importantly, anyone around you. Turn this anger into fuel into continue this job search. Be so mad about this that you can’t think of anything else other than getting your next job so you don’t have to deal with this anymore. Use it to become more determined.
This is one of those moments that will make or break you so don’t become broken. Realize that you have all of the skills you need and that some places just aren’t for you. You might have dodged a bullet by getting ghosted. Take this as a chance to figure out what you can do better for next time.
As much as it sucks, you’ll probably get ghosted at least once during your job search and that’s ok. It tells you that it’s time to keep searching. Try not to let it get you down and if it does then take a break. It can be a blow to the ego, but you know what?
You’re going to be ok. You’ll find the job you need and when it comes you might not even be ready for it. It’ll probably be the one you thought about the least just because that’s how life works. So don’t let these rude companies get power over you. Keep moving forward and laugh at them later.
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