What to do after a no
The short answer
Reply within a day to thank them, say you'd like to be considered for future roles, and ask to stay in touch. Ask one specific question about feedback, knowing many companies won't answer it. Spend ten minutes on your own debrief, then give yourself the rest of the day off. A no after an interview usually means someone else was a closer fit this time.
On this page
Silence is hard, and a clear "no" after an interview can hurt more, because you'd started to picture the job. It's fine to feel flat for an evening. The steps below are for the next morning.
Reply within a day
A short, warm reply does two things. It closes the process well, and it keeps you in mind. In my experience, runner-up candidates are sometimes contacted later, for example when the first choice turns the offer down or a second role opens on the team.
Thank you for letting me know, and for the time you and the team gave me. I enjoyed learning about the work on [specific thing]. I'd be glad to be considered for future roles, and I'd like to stay in touch. If you're able to share one thing I could do better next time, I'd find it useful.
Send it to the recruiter, and if you met the hiring manager, a shorter version to them too. Then connect on LinkedIn if you aren't already.
Ask one specific question, and expect a short answer
A broad request for feedback rarely gets a useful answer. A specific one is easier to reply to, such as asking whether there was one area where the other candidate was stronger, or one skill they'd want to see more of next time.
Many employers won't answer, and that's often policy, not a judgement about you. In a 2016 article for SHRM, the US HR professional body, Roy Maurer describes generic rejection messages as popular with HR and legal teams because they avoid arguments and "inadvertent, discriminatory statements", and notes that specific reasons can lead to complaints[1]. If you get a short or generic reply, take it as their process and move on.
Run a ten-minute debrief
Use the notes you wrote after each interview, as suggested in preparing for interviews. Then do two things on paper:
- Write down what you'd keep: the story that landed, the answer that went well, the preparation that helped.
- Write down one thing you'd change, such as a story to sharpen or a part of the role to ask about earlier.
Then stop. One change is useful. A list of ten turns into a case against yourself.
Keep it in proportion
A no tells you that this team, this time, picked someone else. It doesn't tell you that you're unemployable, that your field is closed to you, or that the next interview will go the same way. Often the decision came down to something you couldn't see, such as an internal candidate or a skill they hadn't put in the posting.
If you notice the no turning into a story about your worth, the page on keeping your confidence in a long search is for that moment.
Come back to it next week
After a week, send one person you met during the process something relevant to their work, such as an article on a problem they mentioned. You're not asking for anything. A company that said no once can still be a good target, and the people you met there are now warm contacts.
Questions to ask yourself
Take five minutes with a notebook. There are no right answers here, only useful ones.
- What does this no mean, and what doesn't it mean?
- What would you keep from that process if you did it again tomorrow?
- Who could you tell about this today, so you're not carrying it alone?