How To React If Your Job Offer Is Withdrawn Or Put On Hold

It’s never easy to get the news that a company is rescinding your job offer or putting your interview on hold. And unfortunately, with the current crisis, that’s a situation too many people are facing.

We’ve found that it helps to know what your options are, so that you can take control of your situation.

With this guide, our goal is to help you do just that. 🙏🏼

We’ve highlighted questions, along with resources, that’ll ensure you’re thinking through all your options while looking for your first full-time job.

So, take a deep breath and recognize that you’ve got support. 💪

Now, let’s get started.

What can I do about my interviews that have been paused?

If your interview process has been paused, first think about how you can maintain the relationships you’ve been developing with people at this company—while also being empathetic about what they may be going through internally.

• Send personalized thank-you notes to everyone via email.

• Get as much information as you can about next steps and when to follow up.

• Connect with them on LinkedIn.

• If you had an interview scheduled that was put on hold, reach out to the person you were going to interview with and ask for an informational interview to get to know them instead.

In essence, think about how you can keep in touch, build a relationship, and follow up so that you’ll know when hiring restarts.

What can I do if my offer has been rescinded?

The good news is, you know this company likes you.

If your offer was put on hold, then one tactic is to give this company other ways to work with you. Can they offer contract work, or are they freezing budgets completely?

Keep in mind that every person you interviewed with is potentially a referral. If they liked you enough to give you the green light at their company, then there’s a good chance they’d act as a referral for a company that is still hiring.

How can I pay my bills without an income?

Develop a strong understanding of your finances. How long can you go financially without an income? Which expenses do you consider necessities and what can you live without for the time being? We’ve outlined additional resources for you to consider and encourage you to do your research.

• Unemployment Benefits

  Consider filing for unemployment benefits right away if it makes sense for your situation.

• Stimulus Package

  Get information on additional income you may be receiving soon.

• Monthly Bills

  You may be able to postpone payments for your credit card, mortgage, student loans, rent, utilities, and more. Call your bank, service providers, landlord, etc. and ask what type of policies they’ve put in place for deferring payments or interest for the next few months. Many companies are offering lower interest rates with smaller monthly payments. Consider this option and identify if it makes financial sense for you, both short-term and long-term. Also check out the COVID-19 Cheat Sheet and Snowball Wealth. Snowball Wealth has a beta program that can help with this for free. Mention Edvo and you’ll get priority consideration!

How do I know which companies are still hiring?

• Live updates

  Companies like Candor and StillHiring have put together live lists with updates on companies and their hiring processes. Crowdsourced lists of jobs and internships, like this one on Airtable, are also a good place to begin looking.

• Monitor job trends

  Indeed created an analysis you can view to track job market trends.
  To find the best opportunities, ask yourself: what industries are suffering due to the current climate and which companies have seen rising demand for their services? Those are the companies you want to target!

How can I maximize my chances of getting a new job during the crisis?

Crisis or not, data shows networking is the quickest way to land your next job.

Good news: this is arguably the best time to be building genuine relationships and networking. People are more empathetic and open to helping than ever before. You can use Austin Belcak’s guide for tips on how to network successfully during a pandemic.

What other types of roles can I consider?

Give companies multiple ways to work with you. Think about different ways you can offer your skillset and make money, even if it’s temporary. A few options might be:

• Working as an independent contractor or freelancing on sites like Upwork

• Consulting

• Applying for part-time opportunities

• Considering high-demand roles, like remote customer support, that may not have been a part of your career plan but can help you stay sane during your job search

• Consider looking outside your geographic area. Sites like remote.co, weworkremotely.com, and remotewoman.com are great places to start.

Here’s Madeline Mann’s video on how to present yourself to employers.

How can I maximize the outcomes of my job search and keep track of my job applications?

You may get your next interview through applying online, an internal referral, or a virtual networking event. It’s always important to understand which strategies are working, so you can know where to double down on your efforts. 💪🏼

That’s why we’ve put together this free Job Search Tracker to help you stay organized.

What other resources are available to help me stay positive and meet more people during this time?

Every week, we curate a list of virtual workshops, hangouts, music festivals, career fairs, and other resources that can help you stay motivated and inspired during this time. 🎉

Lastly, spread the positivity. It’s a hard time for a lot of us right now, so be extra kind, share resources, and help people connect to others. If this guide has helped you, please share it with others so we can collectively survive and thrive through this period.

We hope you feel better in knowing what some of your options are. We’ll do our best to keep this guide updated and continue to do our part to support each other. 🎉