After a Rejection: Feedback, Review and Reapplying

Rejection is a normal part of job hunting, especially in competitive finance and large-employer graduate recruitment. What you do afterwards can help with your next application. This guide covers replying to a rejection, politely asking for feedback, reviewing your own records and deciding when and how to apply again to the same employer.

1. Reply first, then process the disappointment

1. After receiving a rejection, you can reply briefly to thank the employer for their time and the opportunity, and say that you would be glad to stay in touch. No reply is usually fine too, but a short response can leave a professional impression, especially if you reached an interview.
2. Do not argue about the decision, demand reconsideration or express frustration in your reply.
3. Give yourself a little time. Talk with a career-centre counsellor or a classmate you trust before you review the process. Some university career centres also offer one-to-one advice; see no. 18 in this batch.

2. Ask for feedback

1. When to ask: feedback is most useful after a rejection at the interview stage. Employers generally do not give individual feedback after an online application or assessment stage.
2. Prospects advises candidates who are unsuccessful to use the opportunity to ask for feedback on their performance and apply what they learn to later applications.
3. Whom to ask: normally contact the HR representative or recruiter who sent the result, rather than approaching an interviewer directly.
4. How to write:
   1. Thank them for telling you the result.
   2. Explain that you want to improve and ask whether they could share one or two observations about your performance.
   3. Make it easy to answer, for example, “Which area would be most useful for me to work on?”
   4. Acknowledge that they may not be able to provide detailed feedback.
5. If they do not reply or send only a template response, that is normal. Do not keep asking. Some employers have a policy of not giving individual feedback.

3. After you receive feedback

1. Write it down first; do not argue.
2. Separate what you can change from what you cannot. Communication, preparation and technical knowledge can be improved; the number of vacancies, another candidate’s background and internal changes are outside your control.
3. Turn feedback into a specific action. “Not enough market knowledge” could become “write down one market story and my analysis each day” (see no. 6 in this batch). “Examples were not specific” could become “add a measurable outcome to each example”.

4. Review the process yourself if there is no feedback

Most of the time, you will not receive feedback and will have to review it yourself. CUHK’s Career Planning and Development Centre recommends writing down the questions you remember soon after the interview and noting what you learned. Try these steps:

1. On the interview day, record each question, the points in your answer, the interviewer’s reaction and where you felt stuck.
2. Identify the stage where the process stopped:
   1. No response after applying: review CV fit with the JD (no. 2 in this batch) and the open-ended form questions (no. 3).
   2. Assessment not passed: see Batch 1, no. 10.
   3. Phone screen not passed: review motivation and basic eligibility (no. 4 in this batch).
   4. Interview not passed: review your introduction (no. 7), behavioural examples (Batch 1, no. 16), technical or case questions (nos. 5 and 6), and questions for the interviewer (no. 11).
3. For every bottleneck, write one concrete improvement and complete it before the next interview.
4. Look for patterns in the tracker (no. 1). If there have only been a few attempts, the sample is small; do not overinterpret one rejection.

5. Applying again to the same employer

1. Check the rules first. Employers differ: some do not accept a second application to the same programme for a set period, and some test results remain valid so candidates cannot retake an assessment. For example, an announcement from one China Merchants Bank branch says candidates may take the written test only once in six months and have one AI interview per recruitment cycle, with results applying bank-wide. Follow the employer’s official instructions.
2. Consider another role or division. Large organisations often recruit for different departments through separate teams. If another role is a better fit, you can consider applying there.
3. Check the rules for separate institutions or branches. China Merchants Bank’s FAQ, for example, says candidates applying to different institutions need to attend each institution’s interview; each institution’s announcement sets its own rules.
4. If you apply again, be ready to explain what has changed since your previous application: new experience, new skills or a better understanding of the role.
5. If asked whether you have applied before, answer truthfully and explain what has changed.

6. Stay in touch appropriately

1. If you reached a later interview round, you can follow the employer on LinkedIn and send a brief update when you have a relevant development, such as completing a new project or passing a qualification. See Batch 2, no. 18.
2. Do not contact the interviewer or HR repeatedly.
3. An employer may get back in touch if another candidate declines an offer. Keep your contact details current.

7. Manage your pace and wellbeing

1. Do not put all your hopes on one employer. Keep a mix of reach, match and safer options, using the method in no. 1 in this batch.
2. Set goals you can control, such as completing a number of quality applications or mock interviews each week, rather than watching only for outcomes.
3. If you have been rejected many times, ask a career-centre counsellor to review the whole process. The issue may be your direction or application materials, not your ability.
4. Look after your physical and mental wellbeing. Universities generally have student counselling services that you can use if needed.

8. Sample rejection reply in English

Dear [title and surname],

Thank you for letting me know, and for the opportunity to interview for the [role] position. I enjoyed learning about the team.

If possible, I would be grateful for any brief feedback on my interview, as I am keen to improve. I understand if this is not possible.

I hope to stay in touch and would welcome future opportunities with [organisation].

Best regards, [Name]

Sources

• Prospects, “Telephone interviews”, checked 20 October 2026.
• CUHK Career Planning and Development Centre, “Assessment Centre and Interviews”, checked 20 October 2026.
• China Merchants Bank Yantai Branch, 2027 campus-recruitment announcement (republished by Tianjin University’s employment information site), checked 20 October 2026.
• China Merchants Bank Campus Recruitment FAQ, checked 20 October 2026.
• The remaining material is a general method note and does not contain official data.