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“Rejected In 5 Minutes”: 35 People Share The Most Unhinged Job Rejections They Were Unfortunate Enough To Receive
InterviewJob hunting is one of the toughest jobs there is. It requires both skill and luck, with an infinite amount of positive attitude which keeps you going through piles of motivation letters and hours of interviews.
The truth is, job seekers are much more likely to receive a rejection letter rather than congratulations. No matter how good they are, sometimes it’s just not a match.
But never underestimate the way that hiring managers tell the sad news to their rejected applicants. While some provide genuinely helpful feedback and motivate you in your search, others do the exact opposite.
Today we look at the most infuriating and wild rejection letters, emails, and messages that make you kind of happy for these people who got away without a job there.
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It's Brutal Out Here
Here’s a translation: “we didn’t like how you stood up for yourself and didn’t mindlessly submit so we’re not hiring you.”
To find out more about job rejections, as well as why so many candidates are ghosted by recruiters, we spoke with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and best-selling author of seven books, including a global bestseller Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters (Career Press, 2019), who shared some interesting insights.
"Elizabeth, *wink* *wink*" Slew Me
I need to meet this Mr. Jones, pretty sure he's my soul mate. eBay feedback as a reference, just brilliant.
Rejected From An Internship For Not Having Enough Experience
It is indeed an oxymoron, unlike the person who sent you that email who is simply a moron
Dr. Gleb explained that the worst way to reject a job candidate is to not provide any feedback or communication at all, leaving the candidate wondering about the outcome of their application. “This lack of professionalism can harm the company's reputation and cause frustration for the candidate. It is always better to provide a timely and respectful rejection notice, even if it is brief, so that the candidate can move forward in their job search,” he said.
Ph.d. Maths Student Rejected For Not Show Not Having 3 Hours Of Calc On Their Transcript
Did They Want You To Get A Pager Also?
Actress Is Rejected A Role For Being Deaf, However They Ask Her To Teach The Chosen Actress How To Act Deaf
There are a variety of reasons why a candidate can be ghosted, including high volume of applicants. Dr. Gleb explained that “When dealing with a large number of applicants, it can be challenging for recruiters to respond individually to each one, especially if they lack the resources or staff.”
Sometimes, applicants never hear back from the recruiters due to the time constraints. “Recruiters may prioritize filling open positions over providing feedback to unsuccessful candidates, as they are often under pressure to find the right candidate quickly.”
In other cases, legal concerns may be at play. “Some recruiters may avoid providing feedback to avoid potential legal issues, such as discrimination claims or misunderstandings about the reasons for rejection.”
Company Asking For Feedback On Their Recruitment Process While Not Giving Me Feedback On Why I Was Rejected:
Cluckin' Delighted
Wait What
Last but not least, the organizational culture can be the reason why an applicant is ghosted by the company they applied to. Dr. Gleb argues that the company's culture might not prioritize or value communication with unsuccessful candidates and that’s why candidate ghosting occurs.
The good news is that it is possible to reduce the chances of being ghosted as a candidate. Dr. Gleb’s advice is to not forget a follow-up. “Send a follow-up email a week or two after submitting the application or completing an interview, as it may prompt a response from the recruiter.”
Being proactive is also the way to go. “Keep in touch with the recruiter throughout the application process, without being overly persistent.”
This Was My Rejection Email From Meta. “Meta Is A Great Company”??? I’ve Never Seen A Recruiter This Disrespectful And Unprofessional
Seriously?
Oops
my former brother in law left his position as a literal rocket scientist - that he excelled at, per their consistent feedback- because he was having to relocate for personal reasons. circumstances changed and he ended up not having to move and applied for his as yet unfilled position. only to get rejected for not having enough experience. to fill HIS position 🙄
Dr. Gleb also stressed the importance of networking. His advice is to establish connections with company employees through LinkedIn or other professional networks, as they may be able to provide updates on the hiring process or put in a good word for you.
And last tip for not getting ghosted as a candidate is to make sure you stand out. “Make your application as strong as possible, highlighting relevant skills and experiences, to increase your chances of making it to the next stage of the hiring process.”
Excuse Me? Huh? Rejected Because Of This?
Of Course
We're Looking For Some Specific Skills
rude, I'd at least tell the candidate to go get one or something...
Often, however, no matter how much you stand out during a job interview, you still get rejected. Job rejections maybe very difficult to handle, especially if the candidate is going above and beyond to make a good impression, prepare for the interview questions, and do everything it takes to get a position.
Dr. Gleb’s advice for dealing with job rejections is to stay positive and to recognize that rejection is a part of the job search process, and not a reflection of your worth as a person or professional.
Come On Man
Rejected From Cat Sitting
Rejection Letter For A Us Remote Job. Company Thought New Mexico Was "International"
“If possible, ask for feedback from the recruiter and use it to improve your application materials and interview skills,” Dr. Gleb said and added that it’s important to “continue to search and apply for jobs that align with your skills, experiences, and interests.”
Moreover, Dr. Gleb suggests expanding your network. “Use this opportunity to meet new people, attend industry events, or join professional organizations to increase your visibility in the job market.”
Last but not least, advice on dealing with job rejection is to consider alternative paths. “Reevaluate your career goals and explore different industries or roles that may be more suited to your skills and interests.”
Ouch
Block Them
Not As Inspiring As They Probably Hoped
Rejected In 5 Minutes
Thanks I Guess
If You Apply Using A Cv You'll Be Automatically Rejected 🙄🙄
We did something similar by specifically asking for CVs in PDF. At least half people ignored it and attached a Word document (and yes, this was an office position where it was perfectly reasonable to expect that candidates know how to handle this).
Fair enough on this one. If they specifically say do not send us a cv and you do anyway then either you didn't read the advert properly or chose to ignore it.
I have no issue with this. Address the selection criteria. And I certainly don't want someone who can't follow instructions working for me either
Tbh I think it's reasonable they set out specific instructions and it's important for employees to follow instructions.
This is like those (possibly apocryphal) exams where the last question at the bottom of the last page says "ignore all the previous questions, turn your paper face-down and leave the room" 😵
Who takes an exam and goes to the last question on the last page before doing anything else?
Load More Replies...Curriculum Vitae (CV) is similar to what we in the USA call a Resume.
Load More Replies...That's a great way to determine if your employee reads the fine print.
Wow. Shocking to learn how much sneering game playing goes on the hiring offices in the US. No wonder the US is becoming a sh#t-hole country
Wanna hear something weird,,, CV are usually used for grants, academic faculty positions.. using CV for mundane jobs, is like asking for a bachelor's degree to sort mail, it's stupid and pointless.. they are used n higher academics, research study... I never used them in medical field or security for private college, husband is assistant director at same college and still never used them.. i had to look them up to see wtf it is. But I'm not in government or science research, or professor so I wouldn't know about them. Being rude about not using a CV for like filing job, reception office job has to be a joke...We also know it's a s**t hole we know we go bankrupt for needing a.spleen
Load More Replies...I got a job as an Office Asst to the Mgr and HR told me that over 200 had applied and only 6 didn't have ANY errors - spelling or grammar, etc.
It's kind of on the company for trying to reinvent the application process here. Employees go thru all the hassle of setting up the resumes required to apply to 99% of jobs and then these places want to be special when most people have to throw their app down 5000 bottomless holes to even get 1 call back. Stop making people's lives harder and take the damn resume As annoying as those companies that refuse to take your resume and force you to fill out their inline application instead, only to ask for your resume at the end
We ran an ad for a driver. Stated in the ad that they had to have a CLEAN driving record (insurance company had final approval) and had a guy reply who's license was suspended, and handed me a 6 (six) page driving record with at least one at-fault accident.
Businesses that don't bother to read applications even if instructed to xyz, don't deserve out of box thinkers. F**k you narrow minded idiots
It's a tough job market; let's not put landmines in our ads. This isn't high school where the teacher writes at the top of the quiz, "Read completely before starting," and then halfway down says, "Just write your name at the top and turn it in for full credit."
RED DAMN FLAGS ALL OVER THE PLACE. Basically, if you can, find a gig while looking for a job - and pick your jobs carefully. If you get dumbass replies, bless yourself. You dodged a bullet -- instead of biting one.
So I Received An Email About A Role From This Recruiter. I Messaged Back Saying I’m Interested And Then Got This I Reply.....why!!
Blanket email sent out to anyone with any kind of notes on experience in the field. Recruiters don't even read profiles man, they just send out applications to hundreds and then look into the people the reply. At which point they realise they've asked people that don't have what's needed to fill the job role. Ridiculous.
Josh Wasn't Speaking Financially
Got This Email, Two Months After Actually Starting With The Company
This Rejection I Received After Working On A Take-Home Challenge For A Week. Still Angers Me Today How Rudely They Responded
Saw This Beautiful Rejection On Linkedin!
I Had A Job Interview That I Was Rejected From. I Have 4 Years Experience. Does This Read Like It's Minimizing My Experience?
I almost had a stroke reading it. The icing on top of the cake was during my interview with the manager and him telling me "there's always more jobs out there!" before the call ended. I knew I wasn't picked from that line alone.
Seriously?
We Rejected You Because You Didn’t Send A Thank You Note
We are the ones who took time from our day, sorted out our suit and had to pay for transport to get there.
Thank You For The Personalized Rejection
Nice. Rejection Email Six Months After Applying. Reasonable Timeframe To Get Back To An Applicant, Don't You Think?
I can understand maybe 2 weeks to respond with a rejection, but anything longer than that means I probably don't want to work with such a disorganized company that takes MONTHS to reject my application.
I Literally Applied Over Two Years Ago
two years? that’s just stupid. What were those guys doing? Performing a two-year-long cave ritual on an island in Norway?
Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
English is not my native language. I was rejected, because "my English is too American" and my future colleagues (90% from India) would not understand me. The interviewers English was so bad, that she just seemed to be making up words and I also had to ask to rephrase questions, because she literally forgot to use verbs in her sentences, but was very proud of her English, that was more English than mine. And that I could applicate again, after leveling my language.
Jobs are hard to come by in SA at the moment sadly. I doubt it's going to get any easier with all the hits loadshedding must be dealing to the economy.
Load More Replies...I've never applied to a job that had me fill out a questionnaire or anything like it. Just sent in cv and did an interview. So fricken weird.
Was once desperate for a job. Applied to a bunch of top-tier firms, with personal recommendations from someone else in the field. Got a callback from one of them - I was thrilled. Spent 2 weeks learning about the company and their interview/hiring process. Dressed in my best suit and heels and showed up at the interview. First thing the exec (a very nice guy, btw) told me was 'I'm not sure we have anything for you, but your CV was by far the most fascinating I have ever seen and I just had to meet you'. I don't know who I wanted to kill on the spot - him or myself.
I finished school recently, change of career for me... finished my practicum, was told how great I did, and that they had a place for me there...and then took a week off.... Then got word I could start in another week...so two weeks vacation after a year of working and school... Went in for a staff meeting, and then 2 days before I was supposed to start I lost the job....before I even started, Was told there were performance issues that other managers had with me..... And I responded "shouldn't that have been brought up during my practicum??.... Which is the whole reason I was there...for 3 months....working for nothing....to learn how to do the job well??.... And no-one brought up any issues they had, or thoughts of how I could do better....ever?? During my time there??.... In fact I got nothing but praise...from everyone?.."
Horrible companies. Basically the only thing standing between you and your best idea and talents launched as a competitive, profitable company is funding. If someone would stop funding these gargantuan FAILURES that lose billions and instead, take on some talented entrepreneurs, the world would be a better place.
I love/s/ when employers think wages are a gift. No. Me work, you pay. I did my unpaid time in Covid b/c it was morally correct, not b/c it was *smart* (freely admitted). Now, can't get well-=paid work. Yet some yutz on Youtube who rants about (fill in blank) can make a living?
English is not my native language. I was rejected, because "my English is too American" and my future colleagues (90% from India) would not understand me. The interviewers English was so bad, that she just seemed to be making up words and I also had to ask to rephrase questions, because she literally forgot to use verbs in her sentences, but was very proud of her English, that was more English than mine. And that I could applicate again, after leveling my language.
Jobs are hard to come by in SA at the moment sadly. I doubt it's going to get any easier with all the hits loadshedding must be dealing to the economy.
Load More Replies...I've never applied to a job that had me fill out a questionnaire or anything like it. Just sent in cv and did an interview. So fricken weird.
Was once desperate for a job. Applied to a bunch of top-tier firms, with personal recommendations from someone else in the field. Got a callback from one of them - I was thrilled. Spent 2 weeks learning about the company and their interview/hiring process. Dressed in my best suit and heels and showed up at the interview. First thing the exec (a very nice guy, btw) told me was 'I'm not sure we have anything for you, but your CV was by far the most fascinating I have ever seen and I just had to meet you'. I don't know who I wanted to kill on the spot - him or myself.
I finished school recently, change of career for me... finished my practicum, was told how great I did, and that they had a place for me there...and then took a week off.... Then got word I could start in another week...so two weeks vacation after a year of working and school... Went in for a staff meeting, and then 2 days before I was supposed to start I lost the job....before I even started, Was told there were performance issues that other managers had with me..... And I responded "shouldn't that have been brought up during my practicum??.... Which is the whole reason I was there...for 3 months....working for nothing....to learn how to do the job well??.... And no-one brought up any issues they had, or thoughts of how I could do better....ever?? During my time there??.... In fact I got nothing but praise...from everyone?.."
Horrible companies. Basically the only thing standing between you and your best idea and talents launched as a competitive, profitable company is funding. If someone would stop funding these gargantuan FAILURES that lose billions and instead, take on some talented entrepreneurs, the world would be a better place.
I love/s/ when employers think wages are a gift. No. Me work, you pay. I did my unpaid time in Covid b/c it was morally correct, not b/c it was *smart* (freely admitted). Now, can't get well-=paid work. Yet some yutz on Youtube who rants about (fill in blank) can make a living?