Table of contents
Foreword
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn, and to be honest, I don’t know why I didn’t write it here. 😅 This is very likely the first in a series, as I find it fascinating to document publicly just how broken the application process is at larger companies.
Perhaps it will help you if you’re currently in a similar situation and receiving one rejection after another (if any at all), even though you seem very well suited to the job. It’s very easy to start thinking you’re not good enough and consequently begin to doubt yourself. However, once the application has been submitted, there’s no way of knowing whether it will ever be read by a human being.
What’s more, thanks to “AI”, anyone can now write a perfect cover letter, which further reduces the likelihood that a human will read your personal cover letter. That’s why I’ve got into the habit of not just following up with an email after a rejection, but calling, or even going in person if possible.
Enjoy the read, and see you in the next issue! Here’s the original job posting, archived via Wayback Machine: Accessibility Spezialist - Inclusive Design & Digital Accessibility (m/w/d)
Getting rejected by Deloitte
As is often the case, I typed the word ‘accessibility’ into the LinkedIn job search without much hope and was surprised to find not just one, but four job vacancies with the description ‘Accessibility Specialist – Inclusive Design & Digital Accessibility’ at Deloitte!
I read through the job advertisement and thought to myself, “Wow, I’ve done all of that before, or at least I can do it!” So I filled in everything carefully on the Deloitte website and uploaded the documents – accessible PDFs, of course. Unfortunately, I couldn’t upload a cover letter to directly communicate my negotiable terms and add a personal touch to the whole thing.
I submitted my application on a Wednesday and received a rejection on Monday. Huh? A job that’s a 100% perfect fit for me and not even an invitation to a phone interview? Instead, a copy-and-paste rejection email that I’ve read countless times before?
Needless to say, I wasn’t happy with that and wrote again in a bit more detail explaining why I seem to be a good fit for this role and why I’m very surprised that they don’t even want to speak to me. They had “thoroughly reviewed” my documents and got a “good picture” of my qualifications.
I then received another reply, in which they assured me that the “decision had not been an easy one” and that often “only small details are crucial”. I’ve read these phrases a dozen times before and said once again that this sort of reply doesn’t help me. I can take some bad news, just rip the band-aid off and tell me, folks!
I gave them another working day to reply, but heard nothing from them. They have an office near where I live, so I thought I’d go there and ask directly why I’d been rejected.
It was around 10 am on a Wednesday and no one answered when I rang the doorbell. After 5 minutes, I gave up and called the office. No one answered the phone, so I gave up after five minutes there too. So I tried calling the head office in Munich.
To my surprise, I spoke directly to someone, briefly explained my situation and said I’d like to speak to someone from Human Resources. I was put on hold and hung up after 20 minutes. I tried again and gave up after another 10 minutes.
As I never received a specific reason for my rejection, I can only speculate:
Theory 1: Just not the right fit
They actually found a more suitable candidate and didn’t want to waste any more time on me, hence the copy-and-paste replies. Not nice, but fair enough! Still, it’s surprising that I couldn’t get hold of anyone.
Theory 2: Job posting isn’t real
The job adverts only exist so that the name Deloitte circulates in job searches and is associated with the keywords “accessibility” and “inclusive”. In reality, however, they aren’t actually looking for anyone for this role.
Theory 3: Bad timing
I simply had incredibly bad timing, and precisely when I wanted to speak to someone, they were unavailable for various reasons (lunch break, meeting, quick trip to the toilet, walking the dog, who knows).
Conclusion
The moral of the story is that I did my best to find out why I was rejected, and I have nothing to blame myself for in that regard. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I didn’t get anywhere with them and wish all the other applicants the best of luck! 🤞
If you’re reading my story here, please do let me know how it went for you. You’re welcome to send me a private message too.
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