Unfortunately, we are hearing that some companies are rescinding offers. This puts job seekers in a bind, as they may have left a stable position to seek new employment, and now find themselves with no job, no income, no health care benefits. It can be extremely upsetting and frustrating for those that experience this situation.
Revision Resume cautions people in this unfortunate situation to attempt to express their emotions of anger and dismay privately -- as opposed to venting about it on social media. We have previously discussed the importance of social media during the job search in our YouTube video "Tips for Job Seeking Success: Check Your Social Media Presence." In this article we want to discuss the specific situation of facing a rescinded offer and how to handle it professionally, so future job aspirations are not impacted.
Immediate Response
Your immediate response may be to get on social media and bash the company that rescinded the offer. While this is a natural reaction to have to the situation, we recommend you take a breath and avoid online bashing.
First, you may want to inquire if the company has any other openings that you might be suited for. Although we hope they already explored every avenue to keep their part of the agreement, it might be worthwhile to ask them directly, in case they haven't. If you have already been openly critical of them online, they may not be willing to find a new spot for you.
Even if you have decided you will never pursue employment with that company again, you need to consider how bashing them looks to other hiring managers. Becoming angry and losing control communicates that you are unprofessional, which can in turn impact how others view you. Also, the hiring industry for your field may be small and your negative comments may be directed at a friend or co-worker of someone with a job opening. You don't want to give them reason to place your application on the discard pile!
How to Post Successfully
After you have had a chance to let your initial anger cool, you may want to post to social media as a way of networking, so you can find a new job offer. If you left a position and will now unexpectedly be without a paycheck, you may be in a hurry to start the job search over.
Be very careful in how you word your post. Try to keep emotion out of it and just focus on the facts. Also, be sure to indicate you haven't done something that might have caused the offer to be rescinded. Point out that it was due to the current market conditions (increased inflation and recession concerns). You don't want this experience to raise red flags for future employers.
Mention the type of role you are seeking, and ask your contacts to let you know if they are aware of anything that might be a good fit. Ask for assistance. Consider reaching out through private channels as well. Use LinkedIn messaging to directly communicate with people that are in your field and may know of a potential role that would be suited to your skills.
Before you click send or post, consider having someone else proofread your post. Not only might they catch grammatical errors, but they also can point out if they feel the statement contains too much emotion or comes across as being unprofessional.
We recognize that having an offer rescinded can be very unexpected and traumatic. For some, requesting a return to the company they left is a feasible solution. Others return to unemployment benefits if they were out of work before receiving the job offer. Many must seek a new role relatively quickly because they have bills to pay. Utilizing your social media network properly can be helpful in locating and applying for a new role. Hopefully this article has helped you determine how to do that professionally even in a frustrating situation.
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