Sample Job-Seeker “What-Did-I-Do-Wrong” Follow-up Letter

If the stack of rejection letters is growing larger, it's possible that something about your interviewing style is causing you to be screened out of the process. If you feel as though you are spinning your wheels with your job-hunt, you have little to lose by trying to find out from one or more of your interviewers if you are doing something wrong. Choose an interviewer with whom you felt you had particularly good rapport in the interview. The interviewer is certainly under no obligation to respond to your request for feedback, but if he or she really is someone with whom you had good chemistry, the interviewer may take compassion on you and help you out.

Be aware, too, that you may get better results if you phone to ask what you did wrong. The interview will be more disarmed and put on the spot to respond to you. It's even possible that you are being rejected based on a misunderstanding -- some sort of mistaken perception that you don't meet the qualifications for the job. If that's the case, you could get back into the running simply by reconnecting and asking what you did wrong.

Sample What-Did-I-do-Wrong Job-Seeker Letter

7 Greenway Court
Eugene, OR 97401
503-555-0303

Mr. Scott Lucas
Director of Account Services
The Quaker Oats Company
Chicago, IL 60606

Dear Mr. Lucas:

Thank you for this week's letter informing me that you have offered the budget analyst position to someone else. Naturally, I was disappointed, but I do thank you for interviewing me and considering me for the position.

Mr. Lucas, I felt a very strong connection with you in our interview and wondered if I might ask you a big favor. Since my qualifications align perfectly with the requirements of this position as stated in the job description, I am concerned that I do not interview well. Could I trouble you to critique my interview performance and tell me what I could have done better to achieve this job offer?

Again, I appreciated the time you took to interview me, and I would be most grateful if you could provide feedback on my interview.

Cordially,

John Oakley

Have you checked out all of our sample letters for job-seekers?

• Sample Dynamic Cover Letters.
• Sample Thank You Letters.
• Sample Job-Search Letters.

Go to Job-Hunting Samples and Examples for Job-Seekers, where you'll find free samples of just about every job-search tool you'll need to be successful.