Ghosting is when someone suddenly disappears or withdraws from your life. The term ‘professional ghosting’ refers to when a company, potential employer or recruiting agency leave you on read. It’s used to describe the heartbreaking silence that follows a lot of job applications- and it can be really hard to face. But, you’ve got to keep going. We’ve got a list of tips on how to deal with being professionally ghosted.
1. Don’t just assume you’ve been ghosted
Being eager is great, but there is such a thing as too keen. If you sent an email yesterday and the company hasn’t replied yet – don’t just assume that you’ve been professionally ghosted. And don’t drop them another email quite yet! There is a distinct difference between following up on an email and pestering the HR department.
Use the time you are waiting to work on your CV. Apply to other roles and network. The company might not be responding for a totally explainable reason. Perhaps someone is off sick or they’re still going through interviews. Either way, give it another couple of days before you decide it’s the end.
2. Think of it as a blessing in disguise
The job interview process works both ways. It’s not just them seeing if you’re a good fit for their company, but it provides you with a chance to see if you like their company culture. So if you’re left waiting days for a simple response with no explanation, then maybe it is not somewhere you’d like to work.
3. Don’t assign your worth to an email response
One of the reasons being ghosted hurts so much is because of the lack of validation it provides. Rather than getting approval from a potential partner, or a potential job, we instead just get… nothing. One way to make this easier, is to not attach your worth to the job process. Don’t assign your worth to a response from a company, in the same way, you shouldn’t assign your worth to a reply from a guy.
4. Not a rejection, a redirection
Lindsay Kresch coined this phrase about romantic ghosting, and it applies exactly the same to professional ghosting. Whilst it sucks that your dream company hasn’t responded to your CV or portfolio, it isn’t the end of the world. There’ll be plenty of other jobs, and one of them is bound to be your next step on the ladder to success. Everything happens for a reason, this rejection is simply a redirection, not the end of your career.
5. It’s okay to follow up
Give the company a day or so, and if they haven’t got back to you about an interview, application or query, send them another email. Sometimes, big businesses get overwhelmed and they require a nudge to remind them to reply. Just drop them a polite email asking ‘if they have had the opportunity to consider my last email’, or something similar.
6. Keep your cool
One thing you need to keep in mind if you get professionally ghosted is that whilst your first instinct might be to pen an angry email, you need to keep your cool. Sure, you can send a polite follow-up. Perhaps even a goodbye email if that fits the situation. However, you need to keep your cool and save your reputation. If you write an email screaming and blinding at whoever has ghosted you then you’re going to end up damaging your career in the long run.
