Have you had success contacting an employer who's turned you down?
I mean contacting an employer who has turned you down after applying or during the interview process, either to get feedback or even to convert a no into a yes. I think this is almost useless, especially at the more senior levels, but it's common advice for job seekers so I'm wondering if people here have had any luck with it.
Few employers will give anything but vague reasons for not hiring -- "Not a good fit" or "We went with another candidate." Partly to avoid confrontation, and partly to avoid discrimination lawsuits. A couple of places I worked in a hiring capacity had seminars run by employment lawyers to tell us what we can and cannot say during an interview and afterwards. The lawyers will advise not saying anything critical of the candidate.
You can sometimes get more honest feedback if you go through a recruiter, but even then you probably won't get much.
Unless you have an inside contact probably best to move on.
No, I agree with you that it's a waste of time, and it can also come across as unprofessional. Is it really common advice for job seekers? (I don't think I've seen this advice anywhere)
I've done it before but just to be annoying or catty. You didn't hire me but I've been getting notifications from linkedin for your endless reposting of the same job ad over the last 6 months. What are you looking for in a candidate? What's been holding you back from making that hiring decision. I'm not interested myself but I know a few developers who might be interested.
That's probably the only way I've gotten solid feedback. This would not work at a larger firm. You slowly realize they are trying to find someone cheaper or someone with specific experience that they wouldn't normally share.
Advice become a recruitor and don't make it about you.
Unless your social / situational awareness skills are highly developed and you think you've found another use for your skills in the same firm that they haven't thought of, no I wouldn't even consider this. Even then you would probably have better luck cold calling a competitor.
It's this really common advice? Seems like needy incel tactics to me. Then again I guess that explains it, lots of incel advice is also common and wrong.