Job Rejection

[sHiNiNgxStAr]

Ok, so I went to a staffing agency where I was rejected for the administrative assistant position. I have a bachlor in political science from a state university. Don't know why I was rejected but I hoped for this job before getting married. My fiance and I are getting married in a few weeks and he is an unemployed engineer here in the US but in Bosnia he had a job. So, I felt really bothered and wrote this to the lady that interviewed me. I felt like she didn't seem to try to see the potential I had. I wrote her this email. Please let me know if this was a huge mistake:

 

She tried to shove me back into customer service:

PS: The comment about my clothes was because I was wearing a V neck to the interview and it was cold outside-like 32 degrees F. Plus, I dont have a suit actually because I dont have money since I am unemployed. I just said that I had a suit so she wouldn't think I was homeless or something.

 

 

Dear XXXXX,

 

I have been at your office before and was wondering if there are any administrative assistant positions available. You told me I was not qualified for a job but I have been extremely disappointed in myself when you told me that in the office. I know that I have never been an administrative assistant before and worked while in college at a retail store. I believe that there is not ONE thing that cannot be learned. I am not sure why I was not qualified for the job- but it could have been my scores from the typing and computer test but I have succeeded in every job I have done in the past and am sure that I would not disappoint you in any way. You will hear the best from me because everyone else has heard the best from me.Please give me an opportunity to advance to something new than just customer service/sales/retail. If I do not do well in my first few weeks, you can fire me. I am trying to advance and it is sad to have a college degree and work retail. I have 20 dollars in my checking account. Please give me an opportunity to show you that I can learn anything within a few weeks. Everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone can only gain experience when given the opportunity.

I hope you can help me. Experience comes from working at a job.

 

I was at the interview on Friday at 10 a.m.

 

You might not liked the way I looked because I didn't wear a suit but when I walked out of that door I realized that appearance has a lot to say about a person interviewing. I went home and placed all my V necks in a box. I pulled out my suits and I thought about what you said and you were right. You always need to wear suits at jobs and job interviews. I guess I never has a good job where I wore suits but worked in retail all my life. I promise I will not let you or XXXXXX staffing down. I thought about the questions you asked me and realized that no question was about what I did at my previous jobs and thought you asked because you wanted to see what kind of person I am. I saw clothing as something that I could change but my brain and how smart I was does say a lot about me and does not change. Clothes do not define me , yet it is necessary to wear it at jobs and I will definitely do that all the time but what is important is what I bring to the company and what I have in my head.

 

 

I am writing you this because I could tell through talking to you that you are a very nice person. I could tell that even though I did not get the job that you have tried to help me.

So, if you ever need professor recommendations or employer's recommendations I would like to provide those to you. If not, that is okay too. I am glad and happy I could share some things with you and understand that you have a lot of people applying for jobs and you can only give a certain amount of people an opportunity. Still, I would like to thank you for having me.

 

Sincerely, XXXXXX

[Theblueman123]

Don't ever beg for another opportunity once flat-out rejected lol.

[abitbroken]

If it helps: If you are applying for an admin job and you will have high visibility - either high ranking members of a company seeing you all day long or greeting clients- it is not just your qualifications but the overall fit. if you don't have the direct experience, the fit is critical. There may have been an applicant that had a bit more polish than you and was more ready to walk into the role with little or no training.

 

Clothes per say may not make a difference, but they do, as they assume you are putting your best foot forward in an interview. For an admin position, looking "pulled together" would be the way to go. As far as your outfit, was the V-neck revealing in anyway? If that were the case - then yeah, not appropriate. You want to err on the side of conservative in interviews. Also, unemployment is not an excuse for not wearing a suit or a business dress, etc, if that is what the job requires. There are consignment shops where you can find simple, tailored, and economically priced suits. Even thrift shops have designer suits but at consignment you may find the selection is more edited.

 

Also, your letter does not demonstrate that you have a lot of business/office setting experience and is not an appropriate letter for an admin candidate to send to a business contact. If you will be composing letters, they don't want to have their executives have to write the letter before you write it. They would want a candidate who can write succinctly and in a business-like manner. This letter sort of rambles and goes around in circles.

 

I think that if you really want admin positions in the future, you should sign up with a few temp agencies. Even if you don't apply for jobs, use their training software to learn and be tested on as many software programs as you can. Even if you know the programs, the fact that you have a measurable score will give you something to back up your skills.

[thejigsup]

You have to have excellent writing skills to be hired for an admin position. That takes years of being a secretary, admin assistant, office manager, and then admin. There are steps you will have to go through to get there. It takes more than a nice suit or determination, it takes mad skills! I can do it, but it is extremely stressful as most of the work is left up to you. You have to just know what you are doing, no one tells you a thing.

[eggplant47]

oooooooooo. I hate to say it but maybe the e-mail wasn't the best idea. It gets a little too personal when you start referring to your closet and your checking account and if it's personal it's not precieved as professional. Also, next time double & TRIPLE check your e-mail for typos before sending! Remember the job market is down so employers can be really picky about who they want right now. Don't give up. Better luck next time!

[orchidrose]

This was a really, really bad idea. I'm going to be entirely honest here: more than likely, this person will be pissed and/or bemused at the fact that you wrote them an angry, not-so-well-written e-mail because you didn't get an administrative job. There are people out there with Master's degrees applying for administrative jobs; we have an opening for one right now, and we got over 300 applications, many from people who have years of experience. The job market is so bad that you really need to stand out. Based on your e-mail and your perception of the interview, it does not sound like you are standing out at the moment.

 

You never, EVER send an e-mail like this to an interviewer who has denied you a job. At best, it makes you sound like a nutcase who can't accept rejection. At worst, they'll show it to all of their coworkers, and, if they're really serious about it, tell their colleagues at other companies not to hire you.

 

It's difficult to accept rejection. But you never let an employer see that. This is a letter that would be more appropriate for your journal.

[Momake]

I believe the only communication you should have after being rejected from a job is asking for feedback on the application process and interview. However, have no expectations if they are simply too busy to provide you with an answer.

[Kumatora]

I absolutely agree with this entry. Don't act like an idiot and sink to their level. It will make matter worse.

 

Also...

 

 

Don't take out your anger on the woman who denied you the job just because you're under pressure on getting married. She doesn't deserve it and it is your problem that you decided to get married without being financially settled. Not hers.

 

As you're learning now... if you and your husband are not financially situated NOW then it's going to get worse. Postpone the wedding until you guys are financially ready. I have seen a few friends make this mistake of getting married without being financially prepared or one of them not working a job, and it's causing them a LOT of problems. One of them is recently talking about divorce. Another ended up at a homeless shelter with her husband. This is the reality of what the economy is doing to young couples who are getting married too early because they can't find jobs to support themselves.

 

Please focus on getting established before getting married. I'd hate to hear that another couple jumped the gun, wasn't prepared and has to leave a marriage because they did not prepare properly. Trust me, marriage can wait!