What to do when a recruiter ‘ghosts’ you?
There are higher chances you have ever been ghosted by a recruiter when searching for a job. It’s heartbreaking for a recruiter not to respond after you have invested a lot of time in crafting a perfect cover letter. A no is more comforting than missing out a reply at all.
Don’t hate yourself. You are not the only person who has ever been ghosted by recruiters. If you perform a simple search on the internet, you will know that such instances are common nowadays. Instead of ranting to your friends and feeling low, there are things you can do if a recruiter ghosts you.
Here is a list of tangible actions you can take.
1. Follow up
If a recruiter is ghosting you, take action to follow up thoroughly before calling it quits. While there are possibilities that you are being ghosted, the recruiter may have taken time off or is on vacation. Additionally, the recruiter may have left the organisation, or the job may be on hold. There might be compelling reasons why the recruiter has not yet responded.
It is imperative to follow up before you throw hands. If the recruiter has not responded in a week or two, be persistent in reaching back but ensure that you aren’t too pushy.
2. Bring mindfulness into play
Mindfulness is the act of focusing on the current moment. It is characterised by paying attention to experiences and not being hyper-reactive about what is going around you. Practicing mindfulness helps you to reduce the detrimental impact that being ghosted might have on your self-esteem. You have to regularly remind yourself that only one person can fill a job position, and missing out a response doesn’t mean you are not qualified, it only means that you were not meant for that job. Try not to take it personally.
3. Don’t stick around
If you desperately need a job, keep your ears alert to other opportunities. Job hunting is daunting, so when you come about a promising position, you might be tempted to hang around. You have to accept that your request may go through, or backfire.
Set a mindset that until you sign a contract, you are not yet employed by any organisation. This will help you to explore as many jobs opening as possible. By keeping your eyes open for new opportunities, you will reduce the negative feeling that things aren’t working out.
4. Review your performance
You should review your performance both during the interview and post the interview. There might possibilities that you communicated or behaved in a way that turned recruiters off. And as a result, they might have decided you are not the best fit for them.
For example, maybe you didn’t demonstrate interest or enthusiasm during the interview. Or you didn’t put enough effort in following up.
5. Learn from the experience
Take every situation as a learning experience. Learn from it and commit to doing better in future. The skills needed to perform well in an interview and working with recruiters are improved with time. Figure out what could have been done differently and strive to perform well in future. Not all recruiters will ghost you, if a recruiter responds with a No, use their insights to improve your skills.
6. Move on
If a recruiter doesn’t respond even after following up, chances are they aren’t interested in your services. Make peace with yourself because you have already played your part. Yes, it’s disappointing, but it is essential to admit that you are not at fault, and the circumstance is beyond your control.
