Email job that already rejected you? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I applied to a job a few months ago. I went through the entire interview process. I needed a response by a certain date because I had an outstanding offer for another position. I wasn’t sold on that position, but I wanted to have all potential offers on the table before deciding.

I told the firm I’m interested in that I had the offer on the table and needed to know (this was 2-3 weeks after my interview, so I assumed they sent an offer to someone else and I was just waiting for my rejection). The firm was looking to hire ASAP (filling an associate position for someone who just left), so I thought it’d be fine to bring up the other offer 2-3 weeks after.

As I expected, the firm got back to me and told me that they were not in a position to move forward with me at that time and didn’t want to stand in the way of another offer.

I didn’t end up taking the other offer, and the firm doesn’t look like it hired anyone (still no one on the firm’s page - always possible that they have someone starting 1/1, I guess). I still regret not letting the process end on the firm’s terms (i.e., potential offer if the first person rejected) because I strongly preferred it over the other offer.

I’m wondering if it’s so wrong to reach out to recruiting. I know it’s really unorthodox to reach out again, but I’m wondering if anyone has done so in the past (after getting rejected). I know I’ll probably never be able to apply to the firm again if this goes poorly, but I doubt there will be another opening in this group for a few years, at which point I’ll be too senior to lateral that easily (small group, low attrition).

[viperking]

I applied to a job a few months ago. I went through the entire interview process. I needed a response by a certain date because I had an outstanding offer for another position. I wasn’t sold on that position, but I wanted to have all potential offers on the table before deciding.

I told the firm I’m interested in that I had the offer on the table and needed to know (this was 2-3 weeks after my interview, so I assumed they sent an offer to someone else and I was just waiting for my rejection). The firm was looking to hire ASAP (filling an associate position for someone who just left), so I thought it’d be fine to bring up the other offer 2-3 weeks after.

As I expected, the firm got back to me and told me that they were not in a position to move forward with me at that time and didn’t want to stand in the way of another offer.

I didn’t end up taking the other offer, and the firm doesn’t look like it hired anyone (still no one on the firm’s page - always possible that they have someone starting 1/1, I guess). I still regret not letting the process end on the firm’s terms (i.e., potential offer if the first person rejected) because I strongly preferred it over the other offer.

I’m wondering if it’s so wrong to reach out to recruiting. I know it’s really unorthodox to reach out again, but I’m wondering if anyone has done so in the past (after getting rejected). I know I’ll probably never be able to apply to the firm again if this goes poorly, but I doubt there will be another opening in this group for a few years, at which point I’ll be too senior to lateral that easily (small group, low attrition).

Maybe this isn't great advice, but it seems like at this point you'd have nothing to lose by reaching out, so long as you are polite, gracious, and candid.

[Anonymous User]

I applied to a job a few months ago. I went through the entire interview process. I needed a response by a certain date because I had an outstanding offer for another position. I wasn’t sold on that position, but I wanted to have all potential offers on the table before deciding.

I told the firm I’m interested in that I had the offer on the table and needed to know (this was 2-3 weeks after my interview, so I assumed they sent an offer to someone else and I was just waiting for my rejection). The firm was looking to hire ASAP (filling an associate position for someone who just left), so I thought it’d be fine to bring up the other offer 2-3 weeks after.

As I expected, the firm got back to me and told me that they were not in a position to move forward with me at that time and didn’t want to stand in the way of another offer.

I didn’t end up taking the other offer, and the firm doesn’t look like it hired anyone (still no one on the firm’s page - always possible that they have someone starting 1/1, I guess). I still regret not letting the process end on the firm’s terms (i.e., potential offer if the first person rejected) because I strongly preferred it over the other offer.

I’m wondering if it’s so wrong to reach out to recruiting. I know it’s really unorthodox to reach out again, but I’m wondering if anyone has done so in the past (after getting rejected). I know I’ll probably never be able to apply to the firm again if this goes poorly, but I doubt there will be another opening in this group for a few years, at which point I’ll be too senior to lateral that easily (small group, low attrition).

Maybe this isn't great advice, but it seems like at this point you'd have nothing to lose by reaching out, so long as you are polite, gracious, and candid.

Great advice. I did this and got my BL job like this.