
The job has been filled out to someone else
Marianne Bom & Rie Jerichow, Publicér
As a recent graduate, you risk having to apply to a lot of jobs before being hired.
Turned down – Now what?
- Do not give up
- Call and ask why they preferred someone else
- Get all the help you can get with your application
- Remember that most recent engineering graduates get a job.
It is never nice to be turned down. But if you are told that the job went to someone else, you might find solace in knowing that you are not alone. It can be necessary to apply to a lot of positions, before getting hired. Especially as a recent graduate.
“As a graduate, you risk having to kiss a lot of frogs before you get your prince or princess as a first job,” Says career advisor Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen from DTU’s Karrierecenter.
Her best advice is:
“You can’t give up. Remember that you shouldn’t take it personally. Maybe it has nothing to do with you, that someone else got the job, and if you look at it positively, you are one experience smarter, which you can use for your next application,” says Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen. You can choose to call or write to the company, and ask them why they preferred someone else, and what you can do better next time. “In this situation, you have nothing to lose. You might as well use the chance to get smarter,” she says.
The career advisor recommends that you share your thoughts about finding a job with someone else. It can get too lonely, and take a lot of energy and knowledge to put yourself out there.
“Get all the help you can get. Talk to your A-kasse, read online, make an appointment with a career advisor at your university, talk to people around you, and ask around in your network. It can be long and hard, but statistics show that most recent engineering graduates get a job within a manageable timeframe,” says Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen.