Job-Hunting Tools:

  Search for Jobs
  Corporate Job Sites
  Order a New Resume


  Career Tools:

  Content Index
  Career Resources
  Career Tutorials
  Job-Search Samples
  College Planning
  Job/Career Bookstore
  Search this Site


  Career Categories:

  Career Networking
  Personal Branding
  Resumes and CVs
  Job Interviewing
  Salary Negotiation

 

Sample Job-Seeker "What-Did-I-Do-Wrong" Follow-up Letter


 

If the stack of rejection letters is growing larger, it's possible that something about your interviewing style is causing you to be screened out of the process. If you feel as though you are spinning your wheels with your job-hunt, you have little to lose by trying to find out from one or more of your interviewers if you are doing something wrong. Choose an interviewer with whom you felt you had particularly good rapport in the interview. The interviewer is certainly under no obligation to respond to your request for feedback, but if he or she really is someone with whom you had good chemistry, the interviewer may take compassion on you and help you out.

 

Be aware, too, that you may get better results if you phone to ask what you did wrong. The interview will be more disarmed and put on the spot to respond to you. It's even possible that you are being rejected based on a misunderstanding -- some sort of mistaken perception that you don't meet the qualifications for the job. If that's the case, you could get back into the running simply by reconnecting and asking what you did wrong.

 

what where  
  job title, keywords or company
  city, state or zip     jobs by indeed

 

Sample What-Did-I-do-Wrong Job-Seeker Letter

 

7 Greenway Court
Eugene, OR 97401
503-555-0303

 

Mr. Scott Lucas
Director of Account Services
The Quaker Oats Company
Chicago, IL 60606

 

Dear Mr. Lucas:

 

Thank you for this week's letter informing me that you have offered the budget analyst position to someone else. Naturally, I was disappointed, but I do thank you for interviewing me and considering me for the position.

 

Mr. Lucas, I felt a very strong connection with you in our interview and wondered if I might ask you a big favor. Since my qualifications align perfectly with the requirements of this position as stated in the job description, I am concerned that I do not interview well. Could I trouble you to critique my interview performance and tell me what I could have done better to achieve this job offer?

 

Again, I appreciated the time you took to interview me, and I would be most grateful if you could provide feedback on my interview.

 

Cordially,

 


 

John Oakley

 


 

Have you checked out all of our sample letters for job-seekers?

 


 

Go to Job-Hunting Samples and Examples for Job-Seekers, where you'll find free samples of just about every job-search tool you'll need to be successful.


 

Quintessential Resumes & Cover Letters

 

Find a New Job