What Should Be In a Job Rejection E-Mail?

I wrote yesterday about how to turn the negative of a job rejection e-mail into a positive. One of the things I mentioned was to write a thank-you letter to the company. Although that does sound like an odd thing to do considering the situation, it leaves a good impression. I briefly mentioned what the contents of this letter should be, but I want to elaborate on that a little more:

• Like any thank-you note, you should express your gratitude towards everyone involved in the process. This includes whoever interviewed you and anybody else you may have met at the organization. You should say how great it was to meet all of them, and how grateful you were that they took the time to consider you for the position.
• Say that you really enjoyed learning about the organization and the opportunity to meet employees (if applicable).  Showing interest in what the organization does is a great way to show that you are passionate about their mission.
• You should say that you were disappointed in not being selected for the job. Believe it or not, it is possible to do this without being off-putting. This can be done by bringing it up in the "thank you" portion of the letter. For example: "I was disappointed to learn that I was not selected for the position, but I want to thank you for taking the time to consider me."
• Reiterate that you are still interested in working for the organization should another opportunity arise. This is a good opportunity to give them your contact information once again.
• Finally, end the letter by thanking them again and sign off with a statement like "I look forward to hearing from you again in the future."

By including these points in your thank you letter, you will be making a lasting impression with the company.  And who knows?  Maybe that will make all the difference should they be looking to hire again in the future.

Job Rejection: Turning a Negative Into a Positive

We've all been through this situation before: You open up your inbox one day and you see an e-mail from a nonprofit to which you had recently applied for a job.  The subject line is vague enough that you can't figure out what the content is, so you open it up with some hesitation.  Unfortunately, it turns out to be what you had dreaded: A job rejection e-mail.  Clearly you are going to be frustrated, but there are ways to turn this negative situation into a positive for your job search.

First off, you should send a thank you letter to the organization.  That probably sounds like a somewhat strange thing to do.  After all, why should you be thanking them after they turned you down?  Besides the fact that it is the polite thing to do, you never know when another job opening might open up at that organization.  Showing that you were able to handle a difficult situation with class will make you stick out in their minds when they next decide to hire.  It also gives you a chance to express your continued interest in working for their organization should anything change.  Leaving an employer with a positive impression of you will make it more likely they will consider you if a new position opens up, or if the candidate they hired instead of you doesn't work out.

Next, you should use this frustration to motivate yourself.  Nothing makes a better motivation than adversity, so you should work extra hard to avoid having to go through the situation again.  You can even change up your job search routine.  It can help make the process a little bit fresher and it might lead to better results. 

I can tell you from my own experience that being rejected from a job is extremely difficult on the ego.  After all the work you put into applying for a job, it almost doesn't seem fair to be rejected.  But remember: It doesn't do you any good to dwell on it.  You can't control the decision an organization will make, but you can control how you choose to react to that decision. 

Nonprofit Career Round-Up: 5/24/2011

Yesterday was a sad day in the world of philanthropy.  Robert L. Payton, one of the founders of The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, died at the age of 84.  I didn't know him personally, but from all reports he was an outstanding human being, and he is going to be sorely missed.

• 'Healing Tips for the Broken-Hearted Job Seeker'-Rejected from your dream job?  Don't let that get you down.  Read these tips from Careeralism.com, and go down the path of recovery!  Oh, and don't forget the grieving process!
• 'How to Look for a Job When You're Employed'-You don't just have to look for work when you're unemployed, you know.  Even if you are really enjoying your current job, there's no harm in seeing what else is out there.  This article gives you tips on how to manage both your current your career and a potential future one.
• '3 of 5 of Newly Laid Off Find Jobs'-File this one under "reasons for optimism."  There is no doubt that the job market has experienced a boost in the last month, and this article from The Orange County Register provides even more data to back up the good feelings in the air.  So even if you were just laid off, don't give up hope!

Rejection Letters: The Grieving Process

Perhaps the most important trait to have when hunting for non-profit jobs is thick skin.  Like it or not, you are going to be rejected.  In fact, this will happen more often than not; it's just the nature of the game, unfortunately.  It's never fun to get those job rejection letters, and it's even worse knowing that they were probably copy-pasted from a meticulously written sample.  If you are going to eventually find yourself in the nonprofit sector, you are going to have to be deal with the sting of rejection, get back on your feet, and apply for another position. 

I am quite aware this is easier said than done.  My first few times getting the dreaded rejection e-mail (or just not hearing back at all) were some of the hardest job experiences I had to deal with.  It's almost akin to The Stages of Grief: first you get angry, then you get depressed, and you wonder if you're ever going to find a job.  But sticking with the grieving process analogy, it's important that you get to that final step: acceptance.  Yes, it's awful that I wasn't chosen for that job I really wanted, and yes, it's important to acknowledge how much it hurts.  But it's also important to remember that being rejected for a job is not an indictment of your personality.  More often than not, the reason you are not hired is because the employer found someone who is a better fit than you are. 

But the most effective job rejection response is to simply apply for another job.  Let's face it, you're never going to get a job if you just wallow about the one that got away.  The nonprofit industry is moving fast and if you don't get back on your feet after a setback, you are going to be left behind.  So get back on your feet, weary job hunter!  Opportunity isn't going to come to you, after all.