How to get a job after you've been rejected

3 applications a week seems like a very odd number. It's too small to be a wide shotgun approach, and too big to be focused.

I also recently applied to a company, Blizzard Entertainment in Austin, that I have wanted to work for since 1999. In 1999 I didn't program, but playing their games got me into programming (through reverse engineering the games) and I have wanted to work there ever since. I applied for internships through the years, and then after school I started applying for full time positions. I never once even got a response, other than the automated rejection emails that come 2-3 months later. A few months ago they actually called me though, and I had the opportunity to go through the interview process for a .NET position. I sailed through the technical phone interview and was given a take home project to work on, for a week. It had some requirements that involved some design patterns that I'd never used before, but I easily put in 60+ hours on the project after getting home from my current job. After seeing that submission though, they decided to not continue with the interview. It's hard being rejected by a company that you've dreamed of working for for so long, especially when the rejection was after they looking at my code. As a coder, that code is all I am evaluated by during that phase of the project, so it's rough. I couldn't let it end there though. I researched the design patterns requested and completely re-wrote the project. In retrospect, my 2nd attempt was much better than my first. I don't know if the developers I spoke with, from Austin, saw my 2nd attempt or not, because I was going through a recruiter of theirs from CA. The recruiter basically just cut off all communication, and I got no feedback as to what I could have improved on.

But, I didn't stop there! That was basically 2 rejections. I decided to go around the recruiter and drafted up an email to the developers here in Austin - all I asked for was feedback on my code so that I could improve and apply in the future. I didn't have any of their emails, but I had their names. I sent the email to various combinations of their name and magically one went through. The guy responded literally 10 minutes later. He seemed open to helping but was busy (this was happening during thanksgiving and blizzcon, so it was definitely busy for them). We emailed back and forth several times but each time he kept forgetting to respond, so I just let it go. I didn't want to come off as pushy or annoying and ruin any future chances at the job.

No real moral to this, other than I kept trying and ended up with a real developer's email here in Austin. Maybe next time around he'll remember me.

This post has no point at all. And as someone who does his fair share of hiring, it is terrible advice anyway. If you really, really want another chance, just ask. I'll usually give someone a second shot if they seem to really want it, and give them an opportunity to explain why I was wrong the first time.

I think you may want to write a blog post about that: How do you choose which project to invest 100 units into? And, how do you measure the success of that decision both in the short- and long-terms?

For example, do you think the Evernote application had long-run benefits? Did it help you in getting a different job down the road? Those are the kind of stories I think would be interesting to connect to the give it 100 project.

Best of luck on the endeavor!

It isn't uncommon to be reject a candidate for one job, but approach them about a different job that better fits their skillset. This can happen even year or two down the road if that candidate left a good impression with a senior person who hires people regularly.

Worst case scenario is that not only are you rejected for that job, but are considered not hirable for other positions in the future. Trying to prove someone wrong after they have rejected you for a position indicates that you do not respect their decision, and feel entitled to reconsideration after they already made their choice clear. It's disrespectful.

Keep your dignity, and maybe that job rejection turns into a valuable opportunity down the road.