How’d you interpret this interview feedback?

MalMonroe

That's not feedback.

It's a nicely worded rejection letter.  I don't think the word 'exceptional' is an unusual word to use at all. 

Sometimes, in my role as a personal secretary I was asked to draft or compose such letters for unsuccessful interviewees. It could be that a secretary composed and typed your letter, and the director signed it.

Nothing to read into it, they liked you - but someone else was more suited to the role. Seems as if they are trying to say, without actually saying it, that you can always apply to them in the future.

If you really do want some feedback, you could always phone and ask for it, most employers don't mind and some employers actually think it shows that you have initiative. Sometimes I have wanted to know where I 'went wrong' at interview but at other times I haven't. Sometimes it's good to know, though so you can make better preparations for the next time.

You could look positively at this as being a 'learning curve' - it all adds to your experience of interviews. Maybe the next one will be better for you. I hope so!

MalMonroe

Deleted User said:

It leaves the door open - They could call you up in x months time saying they have a position for you. Happened to me nearly 7 years ago, but I went without being wrote to at all after I sat 2 in depth interviews and the mind testing to just never be informed, wrote it off but in the weirdest of events just over 4 months on they got back in touch saying the job had become available again and would I boop along to interview number 3 - it later turned out they had to dismiss 'the better fit' taken on.

What a lovely phrase, 'boop along'. I might borrow that one! Made me smile, thank you.

AskAsk

Sandtree said:

AskAsk said:
i tend not to read too much into rejections and i don't care for feedback to be honest.  i am what i am and they can either lump it or leave it.  i am not going to change to get a job.

I generally don’t either and based on the interview I didn’t expect to get an offer (though HR said only one other candidate was offered a first round and that person didn’t make it to second)

Just a comment on the CV but not the interview seemed odd to me but probably reading too much into it.

so if what HR says is true, then you are the only person that was in the second and third round but you still didn't get it anyway?  that no one got the job at all and they are still looking if i read HR's response correctly.  this is not unusual if it is actually the case.  when we look for people at work, sometimes everyone is dismissed as there is no suitable candidate.

i remember we can sometimes go for months on end without finding a suitable replacement and the rest of us just had to cover the work until a suitable candidate can be found.

i am guessing they comment on your CV because it is outstanding, but the interview not so much.  sorry if this isn't what you want to hear.  i find it is not always possible to tell if you have got the job at the interview.  i have sometimes thought that i got the job from how well the interview went and i didn't, and vice versa.  sometimes i think the interview did not go well at all and they didn't seem that enthusiastic, but then i get an offer for the job, so it is very difficult to tell sometimes.

Sandtree

AskAsk said:

Sandtree said:

AskAsk said:
i tend not to read too much into rejections and i don't care for feedback to be honest.  i am what i am and they can either lump it or leave it.  i am not going to change to get a job.

I generally don’t either and based on the interview I didn’t expect to get an offer (though HR said only one other candidate was offered a first round and that person didn’t make it to second)

Just a comment on the CV but not the interview seemed odd to me but probably reading too much into it.

so if what HR says is true, then you are the only person that was in the second and third round but you still didn't get it anyway?  that no one got the job at all and they are still looking if i read HR's response correctly.  

The chap himself said he was interviewing someone else and was going to rearrange it to be able to decide earlier. HR claimed no knowledge of this other person. 

My my guess is there was a second candidate but internal, can’t see them pulling forward an external candidate interview to suit the purposes of another candidate. 

steampowered

People don't normally say "You have an exceptional CV" unless they mean it.

I'd just take it as a compliment and move on. Could be any number of reasons why the company isn't progressing your application.

Kynthia

This isn't feedback but is just a polite rejection letter. It might be fairly standard phrasing for them so I wouldn't read anything into them not mentioning the interview.

It might be worth you asking for actual feedback as it couple be really useful if they provided it.

Anamox

In my old role I was told to keep "rejection" letters simple with one positive. It means we've closed the case and everyone knows where they stand and it means the person isn't put off by our company and may apply for future vacancies. The standard response was nearly always a comment on their great experience or CV or education - but logically they wouldn't have made it to the interview stage without these things anyway.