It's always disappointing to hear that you weren't selected for an open role. Seeing the company quickly repost the job can add insult to injury. Especially if you spent a lot of time applying or interviewing!
We've been getting a lot of questions about this in our weekly Career Chats with Founding Members. So, let's talk about why this happens.
Why do companies repost jobs?
Hiring managers realize they need a more advanced, or altogether different, skillset.
This happens more often you think! And, oftentimes, the company won't share this context. They'll just thank you for your time and tell you they're going in a different direction.
If the new job posting has slightly different requirements, this is likely the case.
They realize their published salary range wasn't high enough.
Sometimes companies realize early on that their salary range isn't competitive enough for the skills required. Other times, they make it all the way to the offer stage!
If you see a role reposted with a higher salary, this might be what's happening.
They want a more diverse pool of candidates.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employers want to ensure that the role is visible to the underrepresented people they want to hire. If they're looking at a homogenous pool of candidates, they might try reposting in new places or for longer period of times.
The company may need to hire more than one person.
A little more self-explanatory! Sometimes, things change internally during the hiring process. A company may have shifted priorities, closed another round of funding, or just realized they need more than one new hire to reach their goals.
What should you do when you see a job reposted?
There are times where it might make sense to throw your hat back in the ring.
This largely depends on:
- How far into the process you were last time,
- How different the reposted role is,
- And how long it’s been since you last applied.
A good recruiter will reach back out if you're still a fit… but recruiters are also busy. They talk to a lot of candidates so reminding them of your interest is rarely a bad idea. Especially if it’s been a while since you last talked!
If you don’t have a contact at the company, you can reapply via their Careers site. This is a low-risk activity with a huge upside!
And if you did make it past their initial screen last time, send a quick note to the recruiter or hiring manager. Explain that you saw the new opening and already applied on the website, but would love a chance to learn more. And don’t forget to reattach your resume!
It can be easy to get discouraged during a job search, but sometimes rejections have nothing to do with you. You never know what’s going on internally!
The best thing you can do is stay positive and shoot your shot. You never know where you'll end up!
