Rejection: it can happen to any career-seeker. Let’s find out another reason why, and what you can do once it happens to you.
MY APPLICATION GOT REJECTED BECAUSE:
The vacancy got cancelled at the last minute.
IS THIS VALID OR INVALID?
This is an uncommon but totally legitimate reason for rejecting job applications. There are a couple of driving factors for this. On one hand, the company may no longer need the position to be filled because they are distributing its responsibilities to other related positions. On the other hand, they may have decided that it’s better to have an existing employee transferred to that position. In the latter scenario, it could mean that the replacement’s previous position would be left vacant for new candidates.
WHAT CAN I DO?
- Be professional. This is the number one response to any business situation. Think calmly and act with the courtesy that you would wish to be given. Remember that the people who decided to reject you are only doing what their company requires from them. They were not the ones who decided to cancel the vacancy, but they must follow the directions given to them.
- Ask for clarification. Asking for clarification may help you determine – without directly asking – that the recruiter is telling the truth and not just making up an excuse for rejecting your application.
- Courteously ask for other possible opportunities. If you were able to clarify the situation with the recruiter, you could find out if other vacancies opened up especially if the company decided to just transfer someone to fill the now-cancelled vacancy. That person’s previous position could now be vacant. Remember to avoid sounding too entitled, and as always be ready for another interview or two.
- Remind yourself that the vacancy was cancelled. It’s not a question of your qualifications, but of the company making a valid business decision at its discretion.
- Keep your lines of communication open. The company may contact you sooner than you think, especially if new positions opened up because they just decided to transfer an existing employee to the previous vacancy. Be open to working with them again; and if another vacancy you applied for gets cancelled, remember that they’re not doing it to intentionally reject you.
Companies can make some last minute decisions that affect the opportunities they have available. It’s a business decision that they have every right to make, and as long as they’re not discriminating against you or anyone else then they’re not doing anything wrong. The best way to respond to this is to keep communication open, because one door closing could mean others will open up. Besides, that employer isn’t the only one out there. Keep your options flexible and do your best to find other opportunities.
Keep following this series in the following weeks as we identify other reasons that employers reject job applications, and propose ways that you can cope with them. Keep that determination burning!