Should You Ask Why You Didn't Get the Job?

First, I am amazed you heard back from the employer so quickly. Should you follow up? Sure! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call the person you interviewed with and ask both for a critique of the interview as well as why you are not a good fit for the job. If nothing else, you may gain some insights about how you portray yourself or your skills — and perhaps, just perhaps, the employer will reconsider and ask you back because of your initiative.

But remember, also take the feedback with a grain of salt — this is just ONE person’s opinion about you… so be careful of putting too much stock into his/her words. If he/she identifies some potential flaws, ask a close friend or colleague to conduct a mock interview with you and give you more feedback.

Also be prepared to not get your questions answers; many employers won’t answer this kind of question for fear of lawsuits.

One final comment. You have been very lucky that all your previous job interviews resulted in a job offer; I know very few job-seekers who could claim such a record — so even having just one rejection is still a pretty remarkable track record.

Best of luck to you. I know you will continue to have job-search success in the future — especially if you keep trying to improve yourself.

Find lots of other good job interviewing tools, articles, and question databases in this section of Quintessential Careers: Guide to Job Interviewing Resources.