How long should you wait to re-apply to a company?

Question

I interviewed with a software company about 6 months ago but unfortunately did not get a job offer extended. They didn't tell me what to work on professionally or what I did wrong, etc. (as expected) but I've been studying things I believe are relevant to the sector and for my career. Some things are based on the interview I had with them.

More recently, from industry mailing lists, I see this same company advertising that they are hiring. I've also had 2-3 recruiters mail my LinkedIn acct saying they are helping this company recruit workers and if I'm interested. It sounds like this company wants to ramp up fast right now. When I talked to them 6 months ago, they said they wanted to double in size within 18 months. Right now, that gives them about another 12 months to reach their goal.

Since they seem to be making a hiring push right now, should I attempt to re-apply again or is 6 months too quick to do so? My hesitation to apply again so soon is I don't want to be blackballed as annoying. Maybe 3 yrs down the road I might be a better candidate but because of this mark in their internal records, I'll be shot down before I knock on the door.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Answer 1

It's quite possible that you didn't get hired simply because your skills at the time didn't quite match what they were looking for at the time. If they're still hiring, this could be a good opportunity to demonstrate what you've been working on since then.

The advantage you have is that you know the interviewing process, since you've already experienced it before. You know what they were looking for at the time, and it sounds like you're prepared to demonstrate what you've learned in the 6 months since your last encounter with the interviewers.

While it never hurts to apply a second time, focusing heavily on the specific areas and skills that are important to this position will make you appear like a more attractive candidate. If you mention you've applied before, explain to them what you've been doing with your time since the last time you spoke, and explain how your skills will help move the organization forward. If nothing else, this demonstrates your passion and dedication, which could be a benefit.

If I were interviewing you, and you followed these guidelines, I would strongly consider hiring you. This of course assumes that you didn't do or say something that made me feel like you weren't going to be a good candidate. If there were cultural fit issues, applying a second or subsequent time may not lead to success.

Lastly, remember that finding employment is a numbers game. Don't get too hung up on any one employer as there are many great employers out there who are looking for your skills.

Answer 2

I interviewed with a software company about 6 months ago but unfortunately did not get a job offer extended.

There are all sorts of reasons this is possible. In addition to what jmort said, there are a variety of possibilities:

1. You weren't qualified (this is what everyone immediately thinks)
2. You were qualified, but someone else was more qualified
3. They had a lot of great candidates interview and only could choose 1
4. Budget reasons meant their position was no longer available or other internal issues
5. Someone was having a bad day interviewing you
6. The specific position you interviewed for required a very specific skill you did not have
7. The interviewers thought you didn't match company culture

Tons of possible reasons. A few of those are a "you would not change their perspective" types of reasons. Some are fine.

You might be able to get a good feel from some of the recruiters whether you should consider applying or not.

Maybe even explore the subject with some of those you interviewed with if you have connections to them.

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I think our general tendency with job offers (especially rejections) is to assume the company rejected us because we are failures and then assume the company will remember everything about us. Companies interview a lot of people and while we might like to think we're so special the HR/hiring managers remember all of who we are, it's a lot less likely to be the case...

Answer 3

Without applying, you can't get the job! There is not a definite timeline you need to wait. The main concern, from a Recruiter standpoint, is when a candidate applies to tons of positions with no consistency. If your applications are focused, indicating that you are passionate about the career path and company you are pursuing, then you are fine to apply multiple times.

There are many situations where not being selected is not a negative reflection of yourself. For example, they could have give preference to an internal candidate originally, and the next opening they decided would go to an external candidate.

A general rule-of-thumb is that recruiting stories or rumors like "wait __ amount of time before applying again" might be an excuse used for not hiring someone who wasn't a good fit to begin with, however something that superficial would not be a reason to miss out on hiring someone who is a good fit.