I was rejected by Google and Meta before landing jobs at both companies. Here are 3 things I learned.

• Brenna Lasky was rejected by Google in 2015 and Meta in 2017, but eventually got jobs at both companies.
• With Google, she was hired after she applied to a different team.
• At Meta, she kept in touch with the recruiter after being rejected. They approached her when a new job opened.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brenna Lasky, a 35-year-old former recruiter at Google and Meta. She is based in Michigan. Her identity and former employment have been verified by Business Insider. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I spent eight years in Big Tech recruiting at Salesforce, Google, and Meta, where I was really able to understand what hiring managers are looking for and what gets candidates interviews.

I pivoted to job coaching in 2024, and now I'm working on launching an app for job seekers that allows them to get a recruiter's perspective before applying to a job.

Initially, I was rejected by Google and Meta before landing a job at both. I didn't have referrals at either company. Here's what happened:

I first applied to Google in November 2015. I went through the interview process and heard in December that I was rejected. Roughly three months later, I saw a role on a different team and applied. Later that month, I started my new role at Google.

Even though I applied to the same company and for the same title, the outcome was completely different, based on the hiring manager.

With the Meta position, I similarly applied and went through the interview process in 2017, but they decided to go in a different direction. But I formed a really good relationship with the recruiter that I met in the process. I stayed in contact with the recruiter, and when another opening came up on that exact same team roughly a month after I was rejected, she reached out. I started the new role a few months later.

There's a bit of variance between the two situations, but it's the same story. Here's what I learned:

1. Get feedback.

The first takeaway from these experiences is that it's smart to get feedback from the interview process. Sometimes you're not able to get that directly, but you should try to take away how you can improve based on the questions they ask. By understanding those gaps, you can go in better prepared and be a stronger candidate the next time you apply.

I actually think it's helpful to go through the process first, understand what they're looking for, and then tailor your responses next time.

2. Build a connection with the recruiter.

Second, it's important to try to keep a warm connection with recruiters. They can be your biggest ally. A mistake that a lot of job seekers make is that once they receive a final rejection, they end up not responding, or they just take it as a final "no."

I sent a thank-you note to the recruiter at Meta and said that while the news was unfortunate, I had such a positive experience interviewing with the team, and I would love to stay in touch. I said that if there was ever another opportunity, I'd love for them to keep me in mind.

If you had a positive experience and a good relationship with a recruiter, definitely don't hesitate to stay in touch. However, recruiters are working with so many different candidates and roles. I know there's advice out there that says to check in with your recruiter routinely every two weeks. It's OK to follow up and show continued interest. If you've been rejected already though, I would lean toward only reaching out if there's a relevant role you plan to apply to.

That's a great opportunity to say, "Hey, hope you've been doing well. I saw this role was posted on the website. I have experience doing XYZ, which makes me a strong candidate. I'd love to connect if there's an opportunity there."

That makes it not just a random reach-out, but something with a talking point that makes it relevant for them to reconnect with you.

3. You have to find the right fit at the right time.

The greater lesson from both these stories is that just because you receive a "no," doesn't mean the door is closed.

A rejection doesn't always mean you weren't qualified. It means you weren't the right fit for that team at that time.

A rejection from one team doesn't necessarily mean a rejection forever, and your outcome can be very different based on the hiring manager. The person who passed on you and the person who'd love to hire you can work at the same company.

At large companies, it's so important for candidates to remember that the same job title can exist across dozens of teams, each with its own hiring manager, culture, and specific needs.