Ghosted: Article Review from Cosmopolitan

This morning I walked the dog, did a load of dishes, took out the trash, went for a run and checked the mail. Cosmopolitan arrived in the midst of the medium sized stack of paper and I decided to skim through it for a little visual stimulation. In it, I found an article which gives advice on what to do- or what to expect when being professionally ghosted.

On page 83 in the Work and Play section of the magazine, the article called Job-Ghosted... Again lightly compares being job-ghosted with being ghosted after a date as the introduction. Within the first paragraph, it addresses the fact that in the professional world, we have higher expectations. We expect potential employers to get back with us after an interview and keep us informed about the employment processes. The article goes on to explain that since hiring is mostly done online, it is easier for the hiring manager to forget that we are human beings with feelings and goals, not just a "resume online" even if we did our best to make a lasting impression.

There are other factors for employers not getting back with potential new hires, the article suggests. Aside from the myriad of applicants and sometimes qualified candidates, the company may be on a hiring freeze or going through reorganization and there is no news to deliver. The article concludes that if after asking about the next steps and when to expect to hear back from them during the interview doesn't expedite the process of hearing back from the company within a reasonable amount of time, send an email that "reiterates your enthusiasm" for the job and maybe include links to your portfolio or a request to "hop on the phone" to ask one more question about the position or company.

Companies usually fill the position within 3 months. If you don't hear back from them in 90 days after the interview "despite your polite follow-ups," consider it a rejection and move on because it is a tell-tale sign that how the employer treats you during the hiring process will be how they treat you a a full-on employee.

I enjoyed this article because it gives multiple, realistic possibilities as to what may be going on on the employers side as well as give some applicable solutions for what to do as a potential new hire going through the application and interview process. The concept that stands out the most, for me is that the article gives a concrete deadline of when to give up- 3 months after the interview.

If professional ghosting has ever happened to you, leave a comment below describing how you handled it.