Have you ever sent an email or left a voicemail for a recruiter, only to never hear back? This is called “being ghosted”—and it happens more often than you might think. Job seekers are usually the ones being ghosted by employers, but sometimes it’s the other way around. If you’ve been ghosted by a recruiter, don’t take it personally. Keep reading for tips on how to handle this situation and what it may mean for your job search.
What Does It Mean?
When recruiters ghost candidates, it usually means that they are too busy to respond or have chosen another candidate for the role. Although this can be disheartening, try not to take it personally; recruiters receive hundreds of applications every day and simply don’t have the time (or resources) to provide feedback to everyone who applies.
It could also mean that your resume wasn’t strong enough for the role or that the employer found someone with more experience or skills than you have. No matter what the reason may be, getting ghosted is always uncomfortable. But there are steps you can take to make sure that your job search isn’t derailed by one bad experience.
How To Respond When You Get Ghosted By A Recruiter
The first thing you should do when you get ghosted by recruiter is to send an email follow-up expressing your interest in the position and thanking them for their time. While this may seem counterintuitive—why bother sending another email if they haven’t responded?—it will show them that you are still interested in the role and willing to stay engaged with their process. Plus, if they change their mind about hiring someone else, they will know who they can reach out to quickly.
If your follow-up goes unanswered, then unfortunately there is nothing else you can do except move on and keep applying elsewhere. Don’t waste too much mental energy trying to figure out why you were ghosted; instead focus on improving your resume and finding new opportunities that match up with your skillset and goals better than the one you applied for previously did.
Conclusion: Ghosting doesn’t feel good but it doesn’t mean all hope is lost! If a recruiter ghosts you, send them an email follow-up expressing your interest in the role and thank them for their time before moving onto other job opportunities that better suit your skillset and goals. There’s no point wasting any mental energy trying to figure out why they didn’t choose you—focus instead on improving your resume so that more recruiters will see value in what you offer!
