UNCERTAINTY & REJECTION

[Published in Manila Bulletin last November 2011]

Job hunting is very much like dating… you go meet different prospective employers; you put your best foot forward and hope that this will lead to long-term employment or at least, a good work experience. And after going through the tests and interviews, you hear the all too familiar phrase, “We’ll call you…”

Then you wait…

If you are lucky enough to get a company interested in you, you get called for another interview date, then perhaps another after that and if things go smoothly, you are offered a job.

However, there might be instances wherein you’re not the perfect match or you are not exactly the right person that recruitment officers are looking for. Sometimes, the call that you have been waiting for doesn’t come, so you have to continue the search and go through more tests and interviews until the right opportunity comes along.

This uncertainty causes disappointments and stress among many job hunters. Naturally, you’ll start to wonder why you haven’t gotten a callback and you start analyzing things, similar to the experiences and questions of some of our readers:

“I applied online 3 months ago and got no response. Then recently, I saw the same vacancy being advertised in the newspaper…”

From a jobseeker: Good day Ma'am! I'm currently a job hunter and I would like to ask you something. I applied 3 months ago in certain companies via the internet and I heard nothing from them. Recently, those companies I applied for started to post their ads on the newspaper, and they're looking for the same positions, the ones I applied for 3 months ago. What does this mean?

Meanwhile, I also applied in this well-known company last May. I already had an initial interview and employment exam. After that, I was asked to submit my medical records, before the final interview. The HR told me that they would call me if I'm already scheduled for a final interview. That was last July. I waited, but the call never came. Since they asked for my medical records, I was looking forward to getting accepted by the company. What happened?

My response: Thank you for writing and sharing your experience in job hunting. To answer your question, there are really no hard and fast rules that govern the hiring policies of all companies. Each company has its own procedures and policies depending on their needs, culture and requirements.

There could be several reasons why the companies you applied for did not reply online and instead placed a print ad 3 months later. Most companies do an initial screening on the resumes they receive. Usually, those who match the qualifications are called for interview and those who do not match their requirements most often do not get a call.

Sometimes, there are cases wherein the needs of the company suddenly changes. Projects get delayed, recruitment efforts are put on hold or the timing isn't so right.

There are also instances wherein there's a problem with the application sent. In my experience, I've received thousands of email applications that do not have a message, just a resume attachment. If the job is a communications job, I usually discard applications with no messages because I need applicants who have basic business etiquette. Occasionally, I receive resume attachments that I cannot open due to technical glitches. Since I'm too busy to figure out how to open these files, I just discard these as swell.

So here are my suggestions:

1. Check your resume and method of job application and be sure that it really gets sent and that it can be opened by recruitment officers. Review the content of your resume and make sure it matches the qualifications posted in the advertisement.

2. Continue your job search and apply to several companies that match your interest and qualifications. If the companies you applied for do not respond, move on to your next targets.

3. Have ready copies of your resume, transcript of records, medical records and other employment requirements on hand. Some companies ask for these at the start of the recruitment while other companies do this as a last step.


“One interviewer gave me advice that I should improve my personality. What does having a Pleasing Personality mean?”

From a jobseeker: I just want to ask what does having a Pleasing Personality mean? Does it mean to be beautiful and gorgeous?

I'm 21 years old but physically I look like 35 yrs old just because of the sleep lines on my forehead. I've apply for an administrative position to different companies and have gone through so many interviews but unfortunately have failed so far. One interviewer gave me some advice on her assessment of me. She told me to improve my personality. At that time, I was afraid to ask why and so now I'm asking myself. Could it be because I’m not really beautiful and gorgeous? Please help me so that my anxieties and disappointment will lessen. Thank you.

My response: A "Pleasing Personality" refers to the overall trait of a person. It is not just about looks or outer appearance; it also means a person's behavior, attitude and demeanor.

In the context of recruitment, HR officers will look at how pleasant an applicant is...
I.e. Is the applicant presentable, neat and well-groomed?
Does the applicant have a friendly and warm smile?
Does the applicant have a professional demeanor?
Does the applicant have good business etiquette?
Can the applicant represent the company well?

A person who has a pleasing personality is very likable. He or she does not have to be beautiful or gorgeous, just pleasant, neat and with a nice personality.

So to improve your personality especially for the sake of job hunting, try to focus on good grooming and having a warm, friendly attitude. Smile always and be nice if you want to develop your personality.

Believe in Yourself!

When we get rejected or during times of uncertainty, we naturally feel hurt and most of the time, we start picking on ourselves and finding fault within. But the truth of the matter is employers are just trying to find the right match for the job. Just like in dating, not everyone you go out with will spark romance. You’ll just have to continue searching until the right one comes along. In the meantime, do continue developing yourself to make you more attractive to employers and sooner or later, you will find a good job that’s right for you.