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How to get a job after you've been rejected

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Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#51

Post by ahomescu1 »

Morgawr wrote: post #31
mbesto wrote: post #26

> By rejecting me at first, college admissions taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. It doesn’t matter if you’re told no. Everything’s negotiable. I've learned to appreciate this over the years. However, I think this is very much an American thing . I lived for 4 years in Europe and people are much more willing to bend the rules in America, whereas people in Europe tend to "follow the rules". And thus, the p…

As an Italian, I don't agree. But that's for Italy, we're corrupt and we always bend rules. Currently living in The Netherlands and things are very different here. Also Belgians and Germans are very strict, from what I heard. Europe in itself is far too broad. We may be very small land-wise but culturally-wise we can be very different between each other. Can't say for sure, really.

> As an Italian, I don't agree. But that's for Italy, we're corrupt and we always bend rules.

Hah, that made me chuckle. I realize you're being serious, but it seems funny. (disclaimer: I'm Romanian, things are similar for us).

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#52

Post by pedalpete »

bonemachine wrote: post #30
pedalpete wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing wrong with working hard to get their attention. It isn't a 2-way street until you've already proven yourself, that's when the relationship become symbiotic. The dating analogies don't apply.

The point is that as with dating, there's a penalty (in some cases fatal) that comes with trying too hard -- you just come off as cloying and desperate. The OP clearly exceeded that threshold, by leaps and bounds.

You keep saying the OP 'clearly exceeded that threshold, by leaps and bounds', but recall, the story is about how it worked! So you're conclusions are directly disagreeing with the OPs actual experience.

Can you share a story of your (non-dating) experience which contradicts the OP? So far, you've just been spouting disagreements, and maybe you're right, but you haven't proved your theory with any real-world experience, where the OP has. So if you want to continue to disagree with the OP and many others on this thread, please provide your proof so we can then question the OP taking your experience into account.

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#53

Post by samtp »

yarou wrote: post #42

I used to believe a long time ago (when I was younger) that anything is possible -- so long as you work hard. But the reality is it's more complicated than that. Some people have pure talent; no matter how hard you work, you can never achieve their level of talent in a lifetime. Some people have access to the proper network effects, i.e. genetic lottery. It all comes down to analyzing your situation and making the be…

I think anything is possible as long as you're open to anything. Putting your head down and plowing ahead can only get you so far in most circumstances. The key is to work hard while continuing to look around and recognize the diverse opportunities around you.

So many people get caught up on a single scenario as their end goal, rather than understanding that there are many possibilities that you don't even know about right now, that would bring you greater happiness than the single ideal that they hold so dear.

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#54

Post by ra3 »

jelloPuddin wrote: post #21

Getting rejected from Palantir in late August was probably the best thing that could've happened to me. It was the first company that I interviewed at for a full time roll and it made me realize I wasn't ready. I spent the next 8 weeks coding for three hours a day and preparing for interviews. Ended up landing a great job that I'd take over Palantir any day.

>I spent the next 8 weeks coding for three hours a day and preparing for interviews.

what were you doing the rest of the working day?

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#55

Post by ivv »

venus wrote: post #45

WTF? But she never got a job after being rejected! She managed to get a failed college application reversed with her song and dance act, and that's it. When she tries that on a real job, it fails, and she goes on and rationalises that as being for the best. Huh? 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, jus…

Very true. Of the many people who I interviewed and who ended up without an offer, not one has asked for a second shot, which would likely have been granted. It's unfortunate, because not every winning candidate wins by a landslide.

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#56

Post by jwegan »

zeidrich wrote: post #38
bonemachine wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is that as with dating, there's a penalty (in some cases fatal) that comes with trying too hard -- you just come off as cloying and desperate. The OP clearly exceeded that threshold, by leaps and bounds.

Assuming you put a decent effort into the process prior to applying: The point is, at this point you've already been told no. The worst case scenario is that you're told "Still no." Depending on what it is you do to impress them, that can be used in other scenarios. You make some marketing plan or a brochure or redo a website? Stick it in your back pocket and save it again for later. So you look desperate? So what? E…

I don't think she did that after being rejected. Based on the line below, I think she came up with the custom resume, sang a song, wrote an iPhone app as part of the application process.

>>> I wanted a job at Evernote, and I wanted it bad. So I put in my 100 hours.

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#57

Post by ch4s3 »

ivv wrote: post #55
venus wrote: post #45

WTF? But she never got a job after being rejected! She managed to get a failed college application reversed with her song and dance act, and that's it. When she tries that on a real job, it fails, and she goes on and rationalises that as being for the best. Huh? 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, jus…

Very true. Of the many people who I interviewed and who ended up without an offer, not one has asked for a second shot, which would likely have been granted. It's unfortunate, because not every winning candidate wins by a landslide.

Very interesting. I once felt an interview starting to go poorly in the final stage and tried something similarly unexpected. I asked, " Honestly, what reservations do you have about hiring me." The interviewer answered, and I rebutted the three concerns. I started the next week, and it was a disaster. Then I decided to become a programmer, it was for the best.

Aren't anecdotes fun?

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#58

Post by dylandrop »

Ok, sorry, but 100 hours to apply to a single job is just silly. There are tons of factors that you could make you an unfit candidate for that position that you couldn't possibly know about, and even putting a solid year of work into a resume won't help you get around those problems.

"So I put in my 100 hours. I made a custom resume that I illustrated with little Evernote-style animals. I got out my guitar and sang a song about why I wanted to work there. I designed a custom iPhone app for them."

Perhaps they were a little creeped out by someone singing a song to them on YouTube without knowing them at all? This just gives me weird vibes... and furthermore demonstrates nothing of clear value to being a designer (presumably) at Evernote. Those 100 hours would have been better spent honing skills or learning a new one.

I think you should pump the brakes a little on your job application strategy. Most of the time, a well-crafted, personal email and solid resume is the best way to go. A bunch of the time not being hired is as simple as "they found another person first", "you were one of 100 resumes and they accidentally skipped yours", or "they were looking for a person who would be more adept as skill y whereas you're best at skill x". That's why you should concentrate on a couple companies you'd like to work at, and not be devastated if the most likely situation happens (not being picked).

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#59

Post by collyw »

jowiar wrote: post #34
groby_b wrote: post #29

I'm going to state an uncomfortable truth. As somebody who has seen more than a few horrible interview failures - how about you put in a 100 hours of work before you come to the interview? Not for the company, but for yourself. And not doing fancy resumes with songs and pictures, but learning the basics of what you're actually doing? Because I'm fairly certain that most interview rejections are due to the fact that y…

I see far more failure by way of deeming oneself unqualified and not applying than I do by way of train wreck interviews. For me, job applications are like college applications - the best attitude is not to get my heart committed to anything outside my control, and not to take anything as a statement about who I am, and always will be, but rather on what, at a particular point in time, I can offer a particular person…

The way most job descriptions are - listing 5 languages with at least 3 years experience, its not a surprise that people deem themselves unqualified.

(As a side note I get to hire someone after Christmas,and have no idea how to word the ad. It will be all round work, with a fair bit of Python / Django, but I feel that these are fairly niche and will limit my choices if I ask for these specifically.)

Re: How to get a job after you've been rejected

#60

Post by collyw »

stevenp wrote: post #12
bonemachine wrote: post #6

So I put in my 100 hours. I made a custom resume that I illustrated with little Evernote-style animals. I got out my guitar and sang a song about why I wanted to work there. I designed a custom iPhone app for them. Eww. Talk about trying way too hard.

Seriously? It's not trying too hard at all. If there's a job you really want and you're really passionate about getting it no matter what, you should do anything in your power to try to get it. If you fail, you can at least say that you tried as hard as you could and it just didn't work out.

You should watch The Apprentice (UK version at least). These people are willing to humiliate themselves on public TV to get that job. And usually they have quit within a year.

Actually X-factor is an even better example. Some people on it are clearly talentless. They have been deluded into thinking if they want it bad enough and try hard enough, they can become a star.

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