{"id":63699,"date":"2014-03-06T13:45:34","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T18:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63699"},"modified":"2014-03-06T10:19:15","modified_gmt":"2014-03-06T15:19:15","slug":"what-to-write-after-theyve-turned-you-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63699","title":{"rendered":"What to write after they\u2019ve turned you down"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ California<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What to write after they\u2019ve turned you down<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"MaryMichelleMoore\"<\/a>Finding a library job can be a difficult process. Even if you are qualified, the interview went well and you\u00a0did everything in your power to show you are the best candidate, sometimes all of your efforts are not\u00a0enough and the hiring committee decides to go in another direction. However, this does not mean your\u00a0correspondence with your dream library should end with their rejection letter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While many sites offer advice on how to write cover letters, the pre-interview follow up letter and the\u00a0thank you for the interview letter among others, the post-rejection thank you does not get much press.\u00a0Why?<\/strong> Perhaps because it is the one letter you always hope you won\u2019t have to write. Why should you\u00a0write a thank you letter to a library that just rejected you? Well, for one, it is polite. Another reason is\u00a0the library community can be strongly interconnected and you don\u2019t know who may be willing to refer\u00a0you to connections as a strong candidate for another opening. Lastly, you may want to apply in the\u00a0future for that library, or to work with that director, and it is best not to burn bridges. Just because you\u00a0were not their first choice this time does not mean that you are not a desirable candidate or that they\u00a0will not consider you in the future.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 By sending a thank you note expressing your disappointment but continued interest in the library,\u00a0you will have left a favorable memory in the manager\u2019s mind.<\/strong> If the first choice candidate does not\u00a0work out, another position becomes available, or if they know of a position opening with one of their\u00a0contacts, the hiring manager may contact you with the opportunity over someone who did not step\u00a0aside graciously.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0 The final thank you note does not have to be long and should adhere to a basic form.<\/strong> First, address it\u00a0to the hiring manager or the person in charge of the final decision. If the rejection notice came from\u00a0more than one person address the letter to both individuals. The first sentence or two should express\u00a0your disappointment about not receiving the position, be sincere but brief. Next, congratulate them\u00a0on finding a successful candidate and express your continued interest in the organization. Thank them\u00a0again for their time in meeting with you.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0 In the next paragraph, ask for feedback on how to be a stronger candidate in the future.<\/strong> Be aware that\u00a0some employers may have a policy no feedback policy or the manager may be too busy, but it will never\u00a0hurt to ask. At this point, you should express your interest in staying in touch with the hiring manager\u00a0\u2013 ask if you can connect with them on LinkedIn or other social media or plan to follow up at some point\u00a0in the future to see if they have a possible job opening. End on a hopeful, positive note that expresses\u00a0your continued interest in the organization.<\/p>\n

Often the reasons behind a job rejection have less to do with you as a candidate and more to do with\u00a0the other people who applied and the process of finding the right person to fill a position can be a\u00a0daunting task for employers as well as for job seekers. By sending a final note after a rejection letter,\u00a0you show hiring managers that you understand the work they put into the hiring process, show your\u00a0desire to work at the institution, and express an interest in maintaining a new network contact. This\u00a0letter also serves as a way to request feedback on your performance in the interview process and allows\u00a0you to have some closure after the disappointment of not getting the desired job.<\/p>\n

Further Reading!<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to respond to a job rejection \u2013 and even make it work for you<\/a> by Alison Green<\/p>\n

The Letter to Write When You Don\u2019t Get the Job<\/a> by Lisa Vaas<\/p>\n

Resources for sample letters<\/strong><\/p>\n

A letter to send when you don\u2019t get the job offer you really hoped for<\/a> by Tom Dezell<\/p>\n

Ask a Manager: Responding graciously to a job rejection<\/a> by Alison Green<\/p>\n

Sample Thank You Note after being rejected for an internship or job<\/a> by Penny Loretto<\/p>\n

How to Send a Letter after Not Getting a Job<\/a> by Damarious Page, Demand Media<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ California What to write after they\u2019ve turned you down Finding a library job can be a difficult process. Even if you are qualified, the interview went well and you\u00a0did everything in your power to show you are the best candidate, sometimes all of your efforts are not\u00a0enough and the hiring…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":59864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[69,3592,3629,3979,4755,4711,6020,222],"class_list":["post-63699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-inalj-california","tag-mary-michelle-moore","tag-rejection-letter","tag-rejections","tag-responding-to-a-rejection-letter","tag-thank-you-notes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/MaryMichelleMoore.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-gzp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/59864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}