| The best feedback I received was from a hiring manager who said I was not senior enough for the position (they only hire senior engineers at that company). After my onsite interviews, we had a series of phone calls that pushed me out of my comfort zone, onto a path to discover my career. 1. He said he and his team were sitting on the fence about whether to take me on or not. The interviews went well, but he couldn't make a decision yet, so we agreed to talk in the morning. 2. He called the next morning and told me I didn't get the position. He gave his reasons (further down) and told me to keep in touch. I asked if I could call him again to ask some questions and he said that was fine. 3. Played phone tag a little, but he eventually called back and took the time to answer my questions about growing as an engineer. This hiring manager was looking for senior engineers. I had no idea where I stood in my career, having been at the same company for most of my career (8 years), but I decided to give the interview a try. Hiring manager said I was not senior enough (a fair assessment) for the position. I asked him what it would take for me to be considered "senior enough" and he gave me some pointers on how to gain depth and breadth, as well as developing soft skills. That 3rd phone call was really, really valuable. I started reading books (both technical and non technical) and really pushing myself to code more. But more importantly, I've pushed myself to seek help and guidance from people who are way more experienced. I suppose when you get specific directions, you get just a little bit closer to your destination... even if it's a moving target. :) It's pretty rare to get this kind of feedback and I can definitely see why recruiters and hiring managers don't give this level of detail. They're really not obligated, and it can get them in trouble. (edit: line breaks) |