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So I've been ghosted by 3 recruiters in a row, that is to say, HR recruiters have messaged me on LinkedIn about interesting job opportunities than just not responded to me. One had a phone interview go well, said he would schedule another interview, then didn't reach out to me.
How would I go about figuring out what's going wrong? Bad luck? Something else?
How am I supposed to react to being ghosted?
Processing job applications is a high-volume job depending on your industry. Three interviews is a drop in the bucket. I wouldn't worry about it. But you absolutely must pay attention to your technique, see what works and what doesn't, and refine as appropriate.
There isn't a lot you can do about being ghosted by a recruiter. That's kind of the point. If they stop reading your emails, you can't yell at them.
One thing you can do is to blackball these recruiters yourself. Take note of the companies these recruiters work for, and the next time a recruiter from the same company contacts you, simply say, "Sorry, I've worked with your company in the past and been ghosted, I'm not going to waste my time talking to you a second time. Thank you, goodbye". I have done this in the past, and the recruitment company has come back to me practically begging me on their hands and knees to work with them. Or sometimes they'll just go away forever.
In the former case, it's really up to you as to whether or not to give them a second chance. Personally, I would give them a second chance, but make it known to them that they are my bottom priority in terms of my job hunt, something like "I'm willing to work with you, but be aware that due to my past experience, I don't entirely trust your professionalism. As a result, I will consider recruitment work from my other recruiters more seriously than your work". Basically, I am very passive-aggressive with these types of people; in my opinion, ghosting is basically the cardinal sin of recruitment, so I have little patience for these companies or the people who work for them.
In the latter case, you've just saved yourself a whole bunch of headache. If they're not even ready to contest with you that they ghosted you and try to plead their case and fix their reputation, then screw them. Count yourself lucky they don't want to waste your time talking to them.
I wish finding a good job was as easy as 3 applications being done. Agencies deal with a high volume of candidates, unless you strike a chord with your recruiter is is likely they wouldn't recognize you on the street if you had a sign over your head.
Do the following:
As mentioned above, try different things during interview, some techniques are better than others on the career that you are applying for. And have fun! If you walk into a building that gives you the feeling you couldn't be there 9-5 everyday, then try something wacky in the interview. You are not wasting their time, both of you are looking for a perfect fit candidate.
Most likely those emails aren't from an actual person. It's a mass email to get people to apply who meet some criteria they set in the app. You shouldn't be waiting for people to come to you. Go to these companies and apply!
How am I supposed to react to being ghosted?
It should not, but here in my country (Brazil) being ghosted happens quite often. It is an bad / irresponsible HR behavior not providing any kind of feedback regarding a job apply. In general terms, as for my experiences here in Brazil, most company's HR staff are simply incompetent.
Believe me, in 90% of cases the problem is not you. Stay cool and keep aplying. I believe one of the symptoms of a bad company (the kind you should not consider working to) is the poor HR interactions with people being recruited.
I wouldn't bother with the ones who just messaged you and left you hanging, because they're as likely to be phishing as making genuine inquiries, but if someone took the time for an interview it's worth following up after a week or so.
They may have some feedback as to why your application didn't go any further, other jobs to put you forward for, or just some words of encouragement. Sometimes it's good to know that you're doing nothing wrong, and just need to keep at it.
In order to root out possibility of fake people sending you these messages, adopt a practice of insisting these recruiters to communicate from their company email accounts rather than social media private messaging.
Genuine professionals always prefer communicating this way and they won't refuse your request. Furthermore, email communications are very important part of candidate tracking in organizations. This would assure you of their genuinity.
1.That's the nature of job hunting. You could simply ignore it and get on with your life.2.If you want to find out if it's due to something you did or said or some skill you're lacking then ask them. What other course of action would there be? When I've not gotten responses or have been turned down for positions I've applied to or interviewed for I simply reached out to them and asked. I'm not sure why this seems to be such a difficult thing for people.