You interviewed, and you didn't get the job. Should you forget about that employer? 

I found a surprising fact in a CareerBuilder study from last year: Fifty-four percent of employers re-engage with past candidates who were not offered the job! Meaning, they contact them later about another opening – or even the same one.

I've seen this happen. One job seeker I coached, let's call him Steve, was disappointed to be turned down after interviewing for an instructional design position. Three weeks later he received a call. The candidate they had selected accepted the job but backed out at the last minute to accept a higher-paying offer elsewhere. Was Steve still interested? You bet he was! He started two weeks later in this job, and it was a major leap forward in his career.

This isn't the only scenario. In other cases there may be additional positions that open up in the coming weeks or months. 

So here's what to do:
 

• Be gracious after hearing "no" (which actually means "not now"). Send a nice letter to the recruiter and hiring manager thanking them for having considered you and stating that you hope there's an opportunity to work together in the future. Mention that you hope to see them at a certain industry event coming up.
• Invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn. 
• Keep your eyes open not only for openings with this company in future, but also for consulting opportunities based on needs that came to light in the interview.

For more tips about interviewing, read my book, available in the bio above.

Read the original article on Thea's blog.