Job rejections

One of the great favors I was ever done was by a shop that didn't hire me, but the hiring lead said: "Do you know what they're saying about you?" This was before the Internet, but I assume now you would promptly Google "Employment Attorney" Worked for me, just consulting the Yellow Pages.

 

The silver medal for me goes to the editor who sent me back a letter for a copy editing job -- and spelled my name wrong.
The gold goes to a paper where I did two interviews for a sports editor gig two years ago. I read IN THAT PAPER a week later about the new sports editor hire. It wasn't me.
The best part is that the editor and managing editor I interviewed with are both gone now, and the person they hired just left too. Living well truly is the best revenge.

 

The "coming in second" scenario actually worked to my advantage with my first job out of college (at a 35,000-circulation Midwestern paper that covered two Big Ten schools' home games and excellent high school sports, so it was a desirable entry-level job). I was competing against two other candidates and had heard of both; they were big stars on their college papers. Two weeks passed after my interview and I was ready to accept a less attractive job, but then I got a phone call from the sports editor asking me if I was still available. Naturally, I said yes.

About three months later, after the sports editor had a particularly bad day, he dragged me to his favorite watering hole after work (it was a PM paper). We were on our third beer when he admitted that their first choice had turned the job down, and that was when they called me. He emphasized that the competition for the job had been very close and they were happy to have me because I was doing good work, but it still bugged me a bit at the time (and probably motivated me).

The No. 1 choice who'd turned the job down eventually landed at the Chicago Tribune and had a long and successful career there that lasted until he was downsized out of a job by Zell and his buddies. I still stay in touch with my former boss, who's now retired, and I always joke with him about how the offer to the No. 1 choice is proof that he was a really astute judge of talent back then.

 

I think I know the paper you're talking about. If so, it was my exit that created the original opening.

 

Once got a rejection letter that had my correct name and address on the envelope, but had the wrong name on the letter.

 

My best: Applying for my second full-time job as a sports writer at the Augusta Chronicle. I'm young, think I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread. Interview with the SE, John Boyette. Several staffers had put in a good word for me. Interviewed, thought it went well and waited. Got a call a few days later: He hired somebody else (extremely more qualified than me). Gave me some tips on what I could do better. Told me to keep working hard. I'm still friends with the guy who beat me out for the job. Good people. Total pros the whole way.

My worst: Applied for a publisher/editor job in Texas. Did a phone interview, and it went very well. No question I was the lead candidate. Talked money. Told them my salary requirements. "You'll make more with bonuses." Corporate VP wanted me to fly in for an in-house interview. We set up dates; she said she'd get back to me with my flight information. Walked in my boss' office, told him I was taking a few days off for the interview. He wasn't thrilled. Waited to hear back from Corporate VP. Waited. Waited. Waited. Emailed Corporate VP. She told me she had a medical procedure, and we'd need to postpone a week or two. Waited. Waited. Waited. Emailed Corporate VP again. Waited. Waited. Waited. One week later (and 5 weeks into this entire process), Corporate VP emailed me to tell me they made a hire and they couldn't afford me.

I should add: Four months later, I landed a significantly better job with a better company and better pay. As mad as I was at the Corporate VP, I'm really fortunate she didn't hire me.

 

When I graduated college two years ago, I applied any and everywhere. Got three interviews (not including the shop that finally did hire me, which was the fourth one). Didn't hear a damn thing from any of the three after the interview.

The first one was a dump, and I was honestly relieved to not hear back The second one was one I was actually really excited about. SE told me I'd hear from him in a week or two. I eventually found out who he had hired because the new guy updated his work status on Linkedin.

The third was the best, though. Really wanted this one and thought the interview went well. As I left, the SE tells me, "We'll let you know either way in a week or so. I know how much it sucks to be left hanging and never hear, so we'll let you know." Of course, I never heard a damn thing, had two follow-up emails go unanswered, and found out about that hire on Linkedin, also.

The kicker of the third one was four months later, their second writer left to take another job, and the editor (the head guy, not the SE) had the nerve to call me up and say "Hey, just wondering if you were still interested in our opening." Yeah, right...

Most pleasant part of the whole experience was when I applied for the Boise St. basketball beat at the Idaho Statesman and the Duke basketball beat at the News & Observer. Two beats I was woefully unqualified for, but sent what-the-hell feelers anyway, and got responses from both those shops. Nothing amazing, just "Thanks for applying ... different direction ... good luck ..." Given the trouble I had getting responses of any kind, those simple ones were appreciated.

 

I applied for a teaching job once and I overheard someone say something to the effect of "don't worry, you're daughter's a shoo-in for the job." Sure enough, there was a rejection letter waiting for me in the mailbox by the time I got back home.

 

My "coming in second" story: applied for a non-newspaper job once and felt good after the interview. Hiring person told me I was neck-and-neck with this other guy, but he got the job since he had 10 years more experience. I didn't feel so bad, until I ended getting that guy's previous gig. He is about seven years younger than me, so unless he started his newspaper career at the age of 10, I doubt he had 10 years more experience than me.
Also, I have sadly found just getting a rejection letter/e-mail isn't a given. Over the years I have applied for five jobs at a particular paper. Not one single notification at all, even after follow-up phone calls and e-mails.

 

My grail for a while was the San Jose Mercury News. I'd had courtesy interviews at a couple large papers, but John Rawlings was the first big-time editor to fly me in, and I didn't get the job in 1984. But he taught me how to do a critique, and he let me keep trying to prove myself over the next five years when openings came up. The final time, in 1989, I called him and he said, "This is very strange. I just got off the phone with Paul Anger in Miami and he recommended you for this job." Now I'd never met Paul, but I'd done a critique for him a couple years earlier, and he stayed in touch -- which is what made him the best recruiter I've ever seen. In the interim, he had suggested I apply for a sports editor vacancy at a mid-major.

So when Rawlings turned me down again, he called me and said that I should give Anger a call because he was going to have an opening. Which led me to a job at the Herald.

I have to say that my 1980s dealings with Rawlings, Anger and Dave Robinson in Detroit -- all three being Miami Herald alumni -- were great. Total pros, really sharp and respectful of young talent. Robinson called me at an inopportune time for me to move, but I recommended a friend who'd grown up in Michigan and Robinson flew him in, on the advice of a kid.

I feel sad that Knight-Ridder no longer exists. The SEs of that era really wowed me.

Now the worst, well, that would be when I was working in Miami and talking to someplace smaller about the SE job. It was a two-paper city and I found out the sports section was outstaffed by a more than 2-1 margin by the larger paper. I'd done the critique and when the editor called me to ask me to fly up, I said I don't want to fight an unwinnable battle and he replied, "Well, it sounds like you're too much of a fucking pussy to work here anyway." I laughed -- I had lots of options at that point of my career -- and recommended someone who was already in his state (the same friend I'd recommended to Detroit), and incredibly, after having called me a fucking pussy, took down my friend's contact info and brought him in. Ten minutes into the interview, he said to my friend, "I'm not feeling any synergy here, so why don't you just go home."

 

I applied to a teaching job an hour from my newspaper on two occasions. It was part-time and my boss knew since it was not expected to conflict with my schedule there. I received a typed form letter upon the first rejection. I had an in-person interview on the second attempt. Seems they really wanted someone at a major newspaper, which was funny because they knew I was at a few weeklies.

As for the majority of applications, I wouldn't receive a rejection letter or call. There was a time I was recommended by HR to apply for another paper in their group that would have included a slight pay increase. No response. I even sent a follow-up email a month or so later because the job was still on a list of openings the HR director sent every Monday.

At this point, I have the mindset of "whatever happens will happen." All anyone can do is apply and wait to see what happens.

 

This happened to me, too, and I now work there. Wish I'd kept that letter...