Re: Don't call rejecting interviewer?

["Comeau, Lisa" <Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- MOH -dot- GOV -dot- ON -dot- CA>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathryn Northcut

How will I learn what it takes to get the job if I can't ask the people not
hiring me? (I'm relocating to a place without much high-tech industry, a
student-only STC chapter,
and no industry connections.) Before I read Jan's post, I had every
intention of calling rejecters, but now I'm having second thoughts.

Kathryn (and others);

There is a difference between calling a "rejecter" and saying,

"Hello, this is Jane Doe, I interviewed with you last week for the position
of <whatever>, and I was wondering if you might have a moment to answer some
of my questions regarding the reason(s) I didn't get the job..."

and calling a "rejecter" and saying,

"Hello, this is Jane Doe. I want to know how come I didn't get the job of
<whatever>. It was because I was too old, wasn't it? I am far too qualified
to have lost the job based on merit, so you must be an idiot for not hiring
me - that's it, isn't it?"

Be courteous, and interested in knowing why you _truly_ weren't hired -
remember you may not like the answer - and most "rejecters" are happy to
help you improve yourself.

In fact, I was the Program Admin for a registered course on IT, and we did a
survey of people who'd interviewed our students for work term. 84% of
employers were more than happy to answer the question "Why wasn't I hired?"
during the phone call - if it was phrased politely, and the person was
really interested in bettering their interview skills - 11% set up times
that were more convenient - and answered the question, and only 5% declined
to speak to the students on this subject.

Lisa Comeau
Accounts Representative, Client Services Group
Y2K/Exchange Project, Ontario Ministry of Health
Office: (416) 327 1112
Pager: (416) 715 9198
mailto: Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- moh -dot- gov -dot- on -dot- ca

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