Job search communication

stumbled upon this old thread and thought it was interesting.

Earlier this year, I interviewed for a job with multiple editors several times over a period of about a month and was ultimately told I didn't get the job in an email.

Fair or foul?

 

What a red flag. Quite frankly I would quickly get off the phone at that point and an hour later call them back and turn down the job. How rude. How offensive. How uncouth. In this business?? One of the worst jobs out there a person can get and they pull attitude on you? Man this makes me upset. Anybody who would take a job with a company after hearing that line uttered to them is a fool.

 

There we several red flags on this job, but that was indeed the one that ended any consideration I was giving it.

 

I'd say it depends on what was in the email. If it was actual helpful feedback specific to their thoughts about you and/or your work, then it's not only fair, it's gold.

I got one, one time, that I've mentioned on here before, from Phil Kaplan, that I could have framed. It was so good, informative and personalized, and I appreciate it to this day -- both what was said, and that the editor clearly went out of his way to write back to me. It let me know, without doubt, that I was looked at and probably seriously considered for an interview, even though I didn't get one.

Generally speaking, most people like, or at least don't mind, receiving emails these days, whether they're truly informative, or just form-filling responses. It's the go-to mode of communication when you want to be somewhat formal (because it's in regard to a job, perhaps) and yet, you want to, at the very least, communicate something to someone in an official way.

 

Phil is a class act and I agree that he probably went out if his way to personalize a really nice note in a situation when he didn't have to.

In this case, though, I had gone through several interviews, really got to know those interviewing me, was a finalist and had been in communication with editors for about a month. To end it with a somewhat generic email, not a phone call, seemed anything but genuine. There was no specific feedback, and no opportunity to ask questions. It seemed more like a way to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.

 

You're probably right, and that sounds terrible that they handled it that way, especially given how much time was spent with you. Employers don't realize how important it is, sometimes -- as in cases with interviewees with whom they spend a lot of time -- to end things well. And you never know, a future job might be a better match and lead to future dealings, so why not end things well?

I learned from the critique I got from Kaplan -- yes, it was a real, informative critique, not just a note -- that employers have real power to help and perhaps even advance someone even when a prospective employee isn't chosen. I got the same sort of boost -- compliments on a good, successful cover letter and assurance of a good, balanced range of clips -- from Mark Swanson once regarding another prospective job. I got interviewed for that one, but didn't get the job.

Anyway, these were examples of how to do it. Yours sounds like an example of what not to do.

 

That's cool. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, I think you hit on a really interesting point that all parties should try to end the process respectfully because if there was that much mutual interest in working together during interviews, there may be opportunities to do so down the road.

I think in many cases, some folks may not understand common courtesy or etiquette, and it's not personal, which I get. It also makes sense that the candidate is almost always more emotionally invested in the job than those interviewing him/her.

 

I once was flown in from 1,000 miles away, interviewed with everyone, wrote a sample story and was hooked up with the editor's real estate agent to look at houses.

Not only did I not get the job, no one ever called, e-mailed, wrote or sent a carrier pigeon to tell me it had been filled.

 

That's cold.