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I recently have been applying for jobs in the teaching field and unfortunately have been turned down for several job offers. From my experience, I thought that employers called you to tell you the results; however today I got a 'Rejection Letter' and I'm somewhat surprised at how tacky it is.
Is it just me?
IMO, I'm trying for a professional, full-time, long-term position and the best a company can do is leave me hanging for over a week and then send me a letter? Is this that common? I know I'm upset because I didn't get the job, but it just seems rather lazy and tacky.
There's at least a half-dozen threads on this topic every couple months. Here's my take:
1. Be glad you got something, and weren't just left hanging totally.
2. For an initial interview, a letter or email is sufficient. A phone call is only for the last couple candidates. The "finalists" so to speak.
3. Would you have found it tacky if it was notifying you of the next interview steps? No. Quite a few people don't want any communication at all if it's not getting the job.
Many people on this forum have posted they would rather get a letter than a phone call. They are not comfortable getting bad news in person. They also complain that calling gets the person's hopes up.
There's at least a half-dozen threads on this topic every couple months. Here's my take:
1. Be glad you got something, and weren't just left hanging totally.
2. For an initial interview, a letter or email is sufficient. A phone call is only for the last couple candidates. The "finalists" so to speak.
3. Would you have found it tacky if it was notifying you of the next interview steps? No. Quite a few people don't want any communication at all if it's not getting the job.
The reason I was wondering is because out of the 7 interviews I've gone on, this was the first letter I had gotten, the rest were phone calls. I would rather someone tell me right away I didn't get the job rather than put it off or in a letter. But that's just me I guess.
in my experience, it's phone calls that are the rarity. the most common way for me to get a rejection (and i've gotten soooo many!) is via e-mail. letters and phone calls are pretty equal; i may have gotten a few more letters. maybe it's different in different fields. i've been a close second and still gotten an e-mail or letter rejection. i've only had 2 phone rejections that i can think of - at one, the manager just liked to notify everyone by phone. the other, my main contact (who was not the hiring manager but not hr either) called me and i think it's because she particularly liked me and had advocated for me and been overruled.
i am one of the people who doesn't like phone call rejections - they get my hopes up, because based on what i've seen, a phone call = an offer, not usually a rejection. i can live with them though, and it does give me a chance to respond gracefully.
oh also, if you're among the top 2 or 3, employers often will put off rejecting you until their choice has accepted the offer. of course we all want to hear everything as soon as possible, but a lot of things can hold up a rejection.
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We normally send letters to those not invited for interviews, but call the ones we do meet with. From what I hear lately we are unusual, and most just send letters or leave people hanging.
oh yeah, no response is the #1 most common response, at least at the places where i didn't interview. and even some of the places that interviewed me have left me hanging.
In the past, I have received an email, or "heard it through the grapevine" (nothing official), or nothing at all. You received closure, which is good, in my book.
Keep going at it and you will receive an offer. Good luck!
It is great that you received a response either way. That is one thing that needs to be improved in the hiring process. It is horrible that so many HR departments are such sticklers on how their employees dress, how they follow appearance guidelines, and various communications guidelines. However, few correspond with those they interview. The thing that bothers me most is that if I interview the person, I am stuck having to give an explanation when they call me when I am not the person hiring them. Communication is a good thing.
I think the only time I received a letter was during recruitment interviews in college and I received those regardless. Maybe it depends on the field you are trying to get a job in? I think the letter would be more a generic thing instead of a phone call. But, a letter would be so much easier.
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