tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post7127340088664816631..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Writing the Perfect Rejection LetterFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-47585421935813320722012-05-24T18:48:53.175-05:002012-05-24T18:48:53.175-05:00It is especially important to reject faculty candi...It is especially important to reject faculty candidates gently, especially after an interview! How would you feel if the candidate that you DID make an offer to just ignored you and didn't respond to your offer?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-42087700118795838732010-06-03T02:37:30.547-05:002010-06-03T02:37:30.547-05:00A different Aaron than below: I got my rounds of g...A different Aaron than below: I got my rounds of grad school acceptances/rejections recently. Thankfully, the BIG envelope came first. The worst rejection I got was delivered by email that came straight to my blackberry while I was working out. Didn't appreciate that one.<br /><br />The most constructive rejection letter mentioned that I should retake the GRE to be considered. That made my decision easy: not to retake. But, that was because I had been accepted to a better epidemiology program. <br /><br />FemaleScienceProfessor, if you ever get on this site, it would be cool to chat about science and teaching with you. <br /><br />-Aaron-Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11625892138599719703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-16680336274855020522010-06-03T02:26:22.370-05:002010-06-03T02:26:22.370-05:00Not the same Aaron who posted previously: I applie...Not the same Aaron who posted previously: I applied to grad school in epidemiology and I got some wonderful acceptance letters (the BIG envelope!), but I also got a couple rejections. The worst way to get a rejection letter: by email that got sent to my blackberry while working out. <br /><br />As for jobs, it's hard not getting anything at all, which is becoming more common. It's nice to hear from the company that I sent my freshly drafted cover letter/resume, especially after I have to either write essays for a hospital application or submit highly personal information (like a certification document number). I'd really like to hear back that my information will be kept confidential or whether I am welcome to apply again after a certain number of days. <br /><br />-AaronAaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11625892138599719703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-69612019658410228012009-08-01T04:35:39.915-05:002009-08-01T04:35:39.915-05:00Was the rejection postcard from a business in the ...Was the rejection postcard from a business in the UK which sells homewares? I have recieved one too,I don't like the format where anyone card read it. I won't be applying for jobs with that business again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-18039415173896491142009-01-03T02:25:00.000-06:002009-01-03T02:25:00.000-06:00Whatever you do, do NOT begin the rejection letter...Whatever you do, do NOT begin the rejection letter with "Congratulations on your excellent application." I don't know what idiot decided that would be a good way to word scholarship rejection letters, but it ticked severall of us right off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-43985679738882369292007-09-21T11:22:00.000-05:002007-09-21T11:22:00.000-05:00I received a wonderful rejection last year. It wa...I received a wonderful rejection last year. It was a form letter, but they decided to return the application materials as well. Alas, they also included other candidates rejetions letters and materials as well. It made me remember that no one is perfect, including the search committee.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38835030726992762582007-09-21T05:59:00.000-05:002007-09-21T05:59:00.000-05:00I've always assumed that my department members and...I've always assumed that my department members and I will continue to be professional colleagues of short-list finalists to whom we don't immediately offer positions. We will see them at meetings; we'll be on programs with them; as administrators, we'll learn and benefit from their successes and innovations at other institutions. And we are colleagues, as well, of candidates' mentors. I always offer to keep in touch with finalists whom we have not hired, to pass names along to others conducting similar searches, and to talk either in person, via email, or at meetings about career paths and possibilities. Over the years, that practice has seemed appreciated by both candidates and their mentors. Indeed, it has led to more than one "down the road" hire, when a candidate we initially rejected has developed more experience and bolstered his/her credentials. The practice takes time, but finalists, in particular, have invested time in the application process, and they deserve to be treated as the professionals and colleagues that they are. And all of us have an interest in developing those who one day will succeed us as chairs of search committees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23325919537364040572007-09-21T01:33:00.000-05:002007-09-21T01:33:00.000-05:00A lightly personal letter is better. We (we of th...A lightly personal letter is better. We (we of the society of the rejected) will remember favorably that you took the time. It doesn't have to go into much detail about why you didn't give them/us the job; that could veer into seeming disparaging.<BR/><BR/>Worst letter I ever got was a rejection POSTCARD from the HR department, to my department address. Ms. Manners would not approve.<BR/><BR/>I cannot believe that someone thinks not sending any rejection letter is better. That behavior is lazy and NOT ACCEPTABLE. I am shouting. You are just avoiding it because writing rejections is unpleasant. Candidates should not have to contact your frickin' department weeks or months after the fact to grovel and ask "Oh by the way, have you rejected me yet?" The application process is demeaning enough; try to treat us with a minimal level of respect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22320430960380348462007-09-20T10:51:00.000-05:002007-09-20T10:51:00.000-05:00Ursula LeGuin posts a rejection letter for her fir...Ursula LeGuin posts a rejection letter for her first book:<BR/><BR/>http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Reject.html<BR/><BR/>And the famous rejection rejection letter<BR/><BR/>http://www.physics.wm.edu/~calvin/rejection.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73176460410250305392007-09-20T10:29:00.000-05:002007-09-20T10:29:00.000-05:00I think one thing one has to be careful about in r...I think one thing one has to be careful about in rejections is giving people false hope. The version I'm imagining is one that gives positive encouragement to a rejectee, especially one that suggests applying again, but no practical feedback. <BR/><BR/>I think people give this kind of positive rejection for a few different reasons. The worst is if they just hate saying no, you weren't good enough, and leaving it at that, even though that's the reality. Another bad reason is if they want to encourage a candidate, but won't be personally able to offer them anything. The only good reason is if it really is true that they just didn't make the cut on this pass, but might well on the next one, because they were at a random border where you were just guessing. <BR/><BR/>But, nothing good comes of encouraging people who really should go find something else to do. (the rejection question applies to grants, schools, and jobs, too). <BR/><BR/>bjAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-81397066623807680082007-09-20T00:19:00.000-05:002007-09-20T00:19:00.000-05:00sorry, I had meant UIC (Univ. of Illinois at Chica...sorry, I had meant UIC (Univ. of Illinois at Chicago) not UIUC (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana Champaign -- the larger campus)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23986854628194216352007-09-19T21:35:00.000-05:002007-09-19T21:35:00.000-05:00The rejection that I remember most was not a lette...The rejection that I remember most was not a letter, but a phone call. I had applied for a temporary teaching position, and had been told that I was the first choice before I interviewed. But I didn't hear from them right away, and later got a phone call explaining why I hadn't been chosen. They didn't think I had expressed enough enthusiasm for teaching, and encouraged me to apply to positions at research universities.<BR/><BR/>I cried for an entire day. (I already knew that I wanted to work at a PUI. Research universities are great places... but they weren't where I personally wanted to spend my life.) Then I talked to some other grad students, and then I started applying for other jobs. And I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could possibly have done to suggest that I wasn't enthusiastic about teaching. A month later, I got another interview, and I made darn sure that I showed just how enthusiastic I was.<BR/><BR/>I've gotten every job that I've interviewed for since then.<BR/><BR/>Was it a good rejection? Not at the time, no. But it was a useful rejection, and I learned a lot from it.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738706550175991130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-71973832079111201532007-09-19T21:12:00.000-05:002007-09-19T21:12:00.000-05:00I think the main thing is to write rejection lette...I think the main thing is to write rejection letters. It dirves me crazy when you find out you were rejected from some other source, or when you find out they hired someone else, or when you just never hear anything. Most people appreciate that you took the time to write a personalised note.Karen Mastershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-5767849511497663972007-09-19T17:19:00.000-05:002007-09-19T17:19:00.000-05:00Ms. PhD: when I first applied for faculty position...Ms. PhD: when I first applied for faculty positions after a postdoc, I was rejected by Univ. of Illinois at Chicago (amongst others) and got offers from UC Berkeley (where I went), Univ. of Washington, Caltech, and two others -- all of which had obviously better departments than UIUC. UIUC write me a rejection letter explaining that they had many qualified applicants and could only choose one. They did, he didn't accomplish anything and left academia 5 or so years later. Did UIUC's letter serve any purpose other than to show they were (in that department at that time), frankly, idiots? The reason why this has become fairly standard in my field is not because of a lack of spine, but an admission of non-omnicience, which is the one thing we can be sure of. And it is better to save yourself, and your university, the likelihood of embarrassment when a Nobel prize winner gives your rejection letter from 10 years ago saying why he wasn't qualified to the press.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-29858046004491428062007-09-19T16:25:00.000-05:002007-09-19T16:25:00.000-05:00I prefer the personal letter, even if it only incl...I prefer the personal letter, even if it only includes one tiny tidbit on something I might be able to improve/change, or if that's not the problem, some indication that it's a round hole and I'm a square peg. Or there was a rounder peg than me. Whatever, I get that. <BR/><BR/>I hate impersonal letters because, as someone else mentioned, you feel like maybe they didn't really look at you/your application very carefully at all. It really depends, though, on whether they met you in person or if it's a rejection for something only on paper.<BR/><BR/>I also have to say shame on the person who refuses to write them at all, that's incredibly rude and passive-aggressive. Grow up and start treating applicants the way you want to be treated - like a HUMAN BEING who deserves a little acknowledgment! <BR/><BR/>If the committee debated for a long time and it wasn't unanimous, SAY SO. Sheesh! What's so hard about that? <BR/><BR/>If there's some policy that bars you from putting that in writing, here's a concept: GROW A CONSCIENCE and a SPINE while you're at it! <BR/><BR/>Call the person yourself and explain what you just said, that these decisions are difficult and lots of thought went into it and that you're sorry and don't want to be discouraging, but that's how committees work sometimes and that's what happened in this case. The end. <BR/><BR/>Don't leave people twisting in the wind. There's a special place in hell for people who rationalize that kind of behavior. That's the kind of behavior that sends rational, intelligent people running for the hills at the thought of working in academia.Ms.PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11050354864577547294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-77551352697555923752007-09-19T15:55:00.000-05:002007-09-19T15:55:00.000-05:00I can only vote that you be very certain that you'...I can only vote that you be very certain that you've made up your mind before sending out the rejections. When I was applying to graduate schools last year, I received a letter from X University saying "Sorry, we got too many metallurgists and you weren't good enough." A month later, I got a letter saying "We didn't get enough ceramicists! Would you like to come for that?" I passed on their offer, but I've had quite a lot of fun telling everyone the story.<BR/><BR/>I think that since you will be personalizing the letters anyways, the level of detail should just vary according to the competitiveness of the applicant. A fourth tier applicant might need something short and to the point. A third tier applicant might merit some general advice on how to strengthen future applications. A second tier applicant would probably deserve an analysis of the deciding criterion. (I regard the first tier as being hired!)Vodalushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11843259950260319604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38361093648060503422007-09-19T15:49:00.000-05:002007-09-19T15:49:00.000-05:00To the person who prefers the rejection letter: no...To the person who prefers the rejection letter: note that if you are wondering about the status, just send an e-mail to the department chair or secretary. Would you really prefer a subjective statement about why you are less than qualified for, say, Cornell, but just got an offer from Stanford? The department doesn't mind an inquiry about the status. Personally I think lack of a letter indicates that decisions are incredibly difficult, subjective, and not always unanimous. I find that much _more_ respectful than (often falsely) indicating that the entire committee was in agreement that one was less qualified.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-5681690558630276162007-09-19T14:29:00.000-05:002007-09-19T14:29:00.000-05:00My favorite rejection letter for a facutly positio...My favorite rejection letter for a facutly position came from a British University, by e-mail. The person explained that while he was interested in my work, and thought I'd have a great career, that I was a bit too applied for what they were looking for, and that I needed to get a couple more of my papers published. I really appreciated the feedback, as it let me know what I needed to work on, and helped me feel that they were making the right decision for their department. And it was a lot nicer than the generic "poor fit."<BR/><BR/>My favorite rejection letter for a paper included suggestions of a couple of other journals I should try sending it to - it gave me the sense the editor had read my paper, thought about it, and was trying to help. And it was a British journal - draw what conclusions you will:)Michael Lasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14102529450553190655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-88956386851234633022007-09-19T12:49:00.000-05:002007-09-19T12:49:00.000-05:00Writing good rejection letters to people on the sh...Writing good rejection letters to people on the short list of a faculty search is extremely important. These people are all qualified to be faculty members or they wouldn't make the short list. There is a good chance they will get a job in a peer department. You will see them at conferences, they will send your department students, they will hire your students, and review your papers and proposals.<BR/><BR/>To most candidates, the final selection process is mysterious and opaque. If you can give them constructive feedback that will improve their interviewing skills you have done them a great favor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-43767784124542417552007-09-19T11:26:00.000-05:002007-09-19T11:26:00.000-05:00I have a file with all of the rejection letters I ...I have a file with all of the rejection letters I received during my search for an entry-level tenure-track faculty position. Whenever I feel my motivation flagging a little bit for any reason, I leaf through these letters. There is nothing like the desire to prove people wrong to get the juices flowing again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-84628519550597179192007-09-19T10:36:00.000-05:002007-09-19T10:36:00.000-05:00My nicest rejection was a phone call. "We really l...My nicest rejection was a phone call. "We really like you, but another candidate won out in the end." This was on the 2nd round of interviews so there were only 4 or 5 phone calls they had to make. I don't mind the more impersonal emails, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-3932516902062962672007-09-19T09:58:00.000-05:002007-09-19T09:58:00.000-05:00I don't know if I've ever read a rejection letter ...I don't know if I've ever read a rejection letter all the way through. Certainly not after the "we're sorry, but no" line.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-91852920915802961072007-09-19T09:51:00.000-05:002007-09-19T09:51:00.000-05:00Good rejection letters tell you the name of the pe...Good rejection letters tell you the name of the person who was hired. You can compare and decide for yourself what the point of difference between you was.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-80207096709227858992007-09-19T09:48:00.000-05:002007-09-19T09:48:00.000-05:00Perhaps just a big white peice of paper with the w...Perhaps just a big white peice of paper with the word "NO" at the top? :)Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622350001179389541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-84972177797545130772007-09-19T08:51:00.000-05:002007-09-19T08:51:00.000-05:00The rejections I've received in the past were most...The rejections I've received in the past were mostly of the impersonal sort, and I remember wishing that I could get something a little more constructive out of them. But then I got one response which gave the reason for rejection. I had formulated a few hypotheses for why I may not have measured up, but their actual reason turned out to annoy me immensely and I've never looked at that employer the same since.<BR/><BR/>So perhaps I agree with anonymous above: explaining why you rejected them is risky, and it may be better to just be impersonal. Such letters are cold, but they won't be held against you when most people do it.<BR/><BR/>As for personalized "we still thought you were great and full of potential" responses, they don't do much for me: the main thing I want out of a rejection letter is something that might help me on my next application, not something to help me feel better about myself. As dropout says, it's hard to get around the fact that it's still a rejection letter, and if I'm so great why don't I have an offer? Doesn't really make you feel better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com