A couple weeks ago, I received an email from the CDC Foundation letting me know that I did not get a job I interviewed for. I really appreciated them closing the loop, but the timing was odd: I interviewed for that job in June 2020. That’s right: one year and seven months ago.
I’ve been ghosted by potential employers before. I’ve actually—and unfortunately—come to expect it during various job-searching seasons of my career. When I didn’t hear from the CDC Foundation after interviewing and following up several times, I chalked it up to general pandemic pandemonium. Considering the CDC Foundation’s purpose is to support the CDC, and the CDC was both a victim and a source of much confusion early on in the pandemic (and, ahem, still), I was empathetic to a less-than-seamless process.
But I’m dying to know: what changed? What happened in the last few weeks or months? Did they hire for the role? If so, did they hire someone they interviewed around the time I interviewed? Or did they hire someone back then and only recently realize they never informed the candidates they weren’t the one? (I mean, duh.)
Never hearing about a job after applying is one thing. But disappearing after an interview—one that the candidate likely prepared for, took time off work for—is downright rude.
I posted about the experience on LinkedIn (pictured above), and that post probably will be the most viral my content will ever go. It’s a shame it resonated with so many people.
Have you been ghosted by a company after interviewing? And have they ever rejected you so long after your interview it was laughable?