Employee replies to HR’s rejection email, gets an interview call — here’s the simple hack that worked

A job seeker shared a story on Reddit about how replying to a rejection email changed their job search. The person said they had been applying for jobs for nearly three months with no success, as stated in the Reddit post. During this time, they mostly received automatic rejection emails that simply said “no thank you”.

Last Tuesday, the job seeker received a rejection email that was written by a real person, not an automated system. The rejection email came from a lead recruiter at a tech company the applicant really liked. The applicant felt frustrated but decided not to ignore the email or feel upset. Instead, they chose to reply to the rejection email in a calm and polite way.

Replying to a rejection email

In the reply, the applicant thanked the recruiter for responding quickly, as mentioned in the Reddit post. The applicant also said they respected the company’s recent product launch. The reply email was short, respectful, and professional. The applicant did not expect anything to happen and thought the email might never be read. Two days later, the recruiter replied back to the applicant.

Resume shared with another team

The recruiter said the applicant’s professional and polite attitude stood out. She told the applicant that this kind of behavior was refreshing to see. The recruiter also shared the applicant’s resume with another department head. The other department was looking for someone with the same background as the applicant. Because of this, the applicant was invited for a screening interview call.

The screening call was scheduled for the very next morning. The applicant said this experience showed that being kind and respectful to recruiters can make a real difference. They advised others to reply politely if a rejection email comes from a real person and not a “no-reply” address. The applicant said it only takes about 30 seconds to send a polite reply. The post ended with a simple message that you never know who is reading your email or what could happen next.

FAQs

Q1: Should you reply to a job rejection email?

Yes, replying politely to a rejection email from a real recruiter can sometimes lead to new job opportunities.

Q2: Can being polite to recruiters help in a job search?

Yes, showing respect and professionalism can make recruiters notice you and remember your profile.