Am I Being Ghosted by a Recruiter?

We’ve all been there before. You’ve submitted a brilliant resume and you’ve attached a superb cover letter. You’re sure that you’re at least going to get an interview, and then… nothing. You start to think about where it all went wrong, what to do next, and you’re hurt that they’ve left you on read.

To get some answers about the recruitment (ghosting) process, we dropped in and chatted to the UTS Careers’ Recruitment Advisors.

What do I do if I think I’m being ghosted?

Don’t spiral. You only submitted your application two days ago, that is a perfectly acceptable waiting period. Two days does not mean you should start panicking.

Remember that different companies process things differently. Some recruiters evaluate applications as soon as they come through, while others wait until the application date ends before they even start looking at them. Remind yourself that you don’t know which pathway your recruiter is going to take.

Speaking of, make sure to keep an eye on the closing date for the application. This is generally a better indicator for if you’re being ghosted. If the closing date is still a couple of weeks away, calm your beating heart and remind yourself that the recruiter is the most popular person in the room.

The application date has ended and I’m definitely being ghosted now. What do I do?

Follow up! Give the recruiter adequate time (one to two weeks after the closing date) to get through all the applications, and then get in contact.

Make sure to ask general questions, you don’t want to harass or offend your potential employer. For example:

• I just wanted to get in contact and confirm that you received my application?
• I was wondering if you have a status update on how the recruitment process is going?

Following up makes you seem like you are involved and interested in that particular position. One intimidating phone call could change your whole career trajectory.

I did all the right things: I waited the correct amount of time, I followed up as best I could, and I still haven’t heard anything. What do I do?

Let this one go. Yes it may be an amazing job, and yes it can feel crushing not to even get a rejection letter back, but it’s time to think. It has now been two months and you’ve not heard a single word back from your dream job. Is this a company you really want to be working for?

Use this as a reflective and learning process. Get a second pair of eyes to go over your resume and see if there’s anything you can improve on. UTS has a resume and cover letter review that is perfect for this. Remember, every experience is a positive experience if you learn something from it.

Get back on the horse. Applying is hard and draining work, but dealing with rejection is part of the job hunt. Don’t take it personally and don’t let it stop you from continuing the process. New and exciting jobs are being posted on multiple platforms daily. There is always something around the corner that will get you excited for the job hunt again – all you have to do is go out there and find it.

Featured Image courtesy of Unsplash.