Reply to: Advice for emotional energy in securing a role

[ladymuck]

I didn't.

I provided feedback to the hiring manager. That is typically the end of my involvement.

I am certainly not going to give informal feedback via a backchannel.

I have seen many candidates the team would have loved to have hired and yet along comes a hiring freeze and the candidate gets ghosted the same way the person who could barely write a line of code.

Ah.. I get you.

[TheDude]

But why would you withhold feedback? Seems a bit mean to not give the candidate, either directly or via the agency, a few pointers as to why they weren't suitable. Doesn't take any more than 5 minutes to say "you were interviewed to make up the numbers for our internal compliance, the job was always going to go to my best mate"

I didn't.

I provided feedback to the hiring manager. That is typically the end of my involvement.

I am certainly not going to give informal feedback via a backchannel.

I have seen many candidates the team would have loved to have hired and yet along comes a hiring freeze and the candidate gets ghosted the same way the person who could barely write a line of code.

[ladymuck]

I interviewed a candidate when I was a permie at a bank who was rejected. They contacted me several times on social media chasing feedback.

But why would you withhold feedback? Seems a bit mean to not give the candidate, either directly or via the agency, a few pointers as to why they weren't suitable. Doesn't take any more than 5 minutes to say "you were interviewed to make up the numbers for our internal compliance, the job was always going to go to my best mate"

[TheDude]

I am thinking more of the permanent job market as, hopefully, contractors are a bit more self aware of what they can do but not giving candidates feedback after an interview has probably contributed to jobs getting thousands of applications mainly from people who aren't qualified.

There is very little upside to giving feedback to applicants who didn't make the grade.

I did work for one bank who stressed to staff involved in hiring that they wanted all applicants to have a positive experience of the firm even if they were unsuccessful in their application but this was ten years ago and I suspect that advice has been withdrawn now that ghosting candidates is standard.

The only feedback candidates who apply directly to a firm can hope for is their status switching to 'no longer under consideration' on the hiring portal. If they apply through an agent then they can expect to hear nothing.

[SussexSeagull]

I am thinking more of the permanent job market as, hopefully, contractors are a bit more self aware of what they can do but not giving candidates feedback after an interview has probably contributed to jobs getting thousands of applications mainly from people who aren't qualified.

[northernladuk]

An example of being over invested emotionally that is relevant to the general consensus to never chase feedback.

No need to be a ****.

Smashing.

[TheDude]

Super!

An example of being over invested emotionally that is relevant to the general consensus to never chase feedback.

No need to be a ****.

[northernladuk]

I interviewed a candidate when I was a permie at a bank who was rejected. They contacted me several times on social media chasing feedback.

Super!

[TheDude]

I interviewed a candidate when I was a permie at a bank who was rejected. They contacted me several times on social media chasing feedback.

[CheeseSlice]

Never get invested at all.
Your objective is to get as many offers in as you can so you can choose or have backups.
It doesn’t matter how well or nice the interview went, some may have delays, some may have budget or contract issues, others may be cancelled. If you have more than one offer keep them all open until you have paperwork in good shape and you can bin the others off.
As some may say, never stop applying for other contracts throughout.

[jf2010]

Advice: It is simply a numbers game. Do enough interviews. At no point get excited about one until you get an offer.

Keep doing them until you end up with multiple offers. Pick one

[SussexSeagull]

While hunting for a role the only way to keep yourself sane is to not go chasing them after the initial application. There might be some advantage to getting hold of an agent on LinkedIn if you are doing it through Jobserve or similar in an attempt to make yourself stand out but I personally think they get so many applications and anything past 100 makes it a lottery.

If you do get interviewed then do the interview to the best of your ability, talk to the agent afterwards but unless there are any follow up questions from the client then forget about it and get on with your life. The days of feedback have long gone and I couldn't tell you the last time I actually had a reason for not getting a contract after an interview as it is more common than not for roles to disappear down a wormhole.

No matter what people will tell you it is difficult emotionally though. When you are watching your money disappear, do a good interview then never hear from them again it will get you down but you have to move on.

[PerfectStorm]

Another thing: trying to guess how much you'll enjoy or hate gigs from the outside is a mugs game. You may as well flip a coin. Often the gigs you think you won't get or won't enjoy, you like. And the ones you think you'll like.... I've got bad news for you. Long gigs finish early, and similarly short gigs extend repeatedly for years.

The only reliable indicator for me is the interview process. If you want to meet me for half an hour to talk about the project and my hobbies, great.

If you want a 3 stage interview with 'The head BA' and 'the Head of programme' and 'The head of taking things too seriously' on the panel, those gigs never turn out well.

[PerfectStorm]

The trick is to not emotionally attach to anything.

I emotionally attach to the 1st class plane seat or my time in the hotel pool after it's all done.

Client rejects your work and you need to redo it? No worries, keep on invoicing.

Getting invested is for permies.

[IsayIsayIsay]

It gets beaten out of you as the years roll by

That's made me smile after a long day... I am stating to be beaten down already!