Comments on: What To Do When Interviews Go Nowhere – By Josh Copeland

By: patti pfeifer

patti pfeifer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:50:46 +0000

Josh, thank you for your honesty and great insight in this very tough process. It’s hard to focus on the positives like—getting the interview over the hundreds not chosen is really proof that you’ve got something that brought you to the top of the heap. It is tough to put your best out there, feel so great about it and then all communication stops. I’ve experienced this, too.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:17:36 +0000

Wow – so many comments. I’m truly humbled. Each of you and your comments is an affirmation that I truly am not alone in these experiences. Maybe it was my naivete or innocent optimism that these situations were flukes – but as Sam Pogue mentioned (and I agree) sometimes the universe knows better than is…that the unfulfilled opportunities wouldn’t have enabled us to go to our fullest potential. Props to Erik for PFTA, and giving this whole process a constructive & growing voice.

By: suki

suki — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:45:06 +0000

Thanks for posting this! The Houdini Job, The Flounder Job, and The Blackjack Job are so common that I am SO appreciative when a hiring manager merely responds or appears to be honest about the situation.

By: Sam Pogue

Sam Pogue — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:43:15 +0000

I’ve experienced each of the scenarios you’ve highlighted and was left with that familiar “Was it something I said?” nagging me…I always left each encounter with my best foot forward, and in many cases managed to keep relationships positive so the door stayed open to future working collaborations. I’ve also had relationships dead-end because the potential employer did not take any of the advice you noted, and it left a sour taste that frankly if they wanted to hire me now, I doubt I’d take the bait.

That all said, I do think that sometimes the universe knows better than us and that it’s just an indication that your path is still unfolding and that those opportunities wouldn’t have seen you to your full potential.

By: Dan Benner

Dan Benner — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:21:30 +0000

Thanks for the post Josh. There are so many interviews that do go nowhere and it’s good to be able to consider some of them a non-rejection, but simply a shift in the company’s needs.

Good idea on the referral…

Thanks,
Dan

By: Ginny Lavery

Ginny Lavery — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:11:21 +0000

Great post, Josh. I can completely relate. I’m conducting my job search here in the SF Bay area and I’ve had a combination of all three of these interviews, most recently the Houdini job.

I was beginning to think it was just me – I take some comfort in knowing it’s not.

Thanks for sharing your experience!
Ginny

By: Courtney Kuehn

Courtney Kuehn — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:10:17 +0000

Sorry Erik – thought you had written this…didn’t mean to call you the wrong name.

By: Courtney Kuehn

Courtney Kuehn — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:07:48 +0000

Josh – great post…I like that you’ve categorized the dead-end interviews, and shared suggestions for HR/talent managers. I hope they read this and give it some thought.

I’m a jr (hopeful) planner/strategist, job searching in Minneapolis and I’ve been in a variety of job lead situations. Some not so surprising, some confusing, and some helpful even if the meeting didn’t end in an offer.

Thanks!
Courtney

By: Prescott Perez-Fox

Prescott Perez-Fox — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:19:17 +0000

Thanks for brining this phenomenon to light. In my experience (which, sadly, has gone for more than five months), this outcome is incredibly common. For one reason or another, the “no result” is the new rejection letter. I’d rather be told simply that my work stinks that they’re hiring someone better.

To throw the situation on it’s head, I have to wonder, genuinely, do I really want to work at a place that isn’t organised enough to set up time-appropriate, logistically-backed interviews, and isn’t courteous enough to let you know that you didn’t get the job. Sometimes the answer is no.