You’ve seen your dream job; spent hours working on your resume and cover letter to get them perfect; submitted them in with your job application; and waited for the call. Alternatively, you’ve received a job interview; spent hours reading up about the organization and practicing interview questions; interviewed, and felt it went well. Unfortunately, you’re not the preferred candidate in both situations. Rejection in general is difficult to handle even at the best of times. However, told you’re not the one can be painful with so much investment into the perfect resume, cover letter, and interview preparation. Now you have to search and apply for the next job with no certainty of an interview or offer. Being able to handle job rejection is part and parcel of successfully finding a job. Taking on board the following steps will help put the hiring process and job rejection in context. Just remember, every “no” means you are one step closer to a “yes.” The following is what you need to know when dealing with job rejection.
Be Realistic
Get Feedback
Grow From It
Getting feedback regarding a job rejection is a great start, but it’s what you do with it that counts. Each setback is a chance to learn about yourself and prove to yourself how you respond to rejection. Feeling disappointed is only natural, but it comes down to how quickly you rebound and take the steps required to address the feedback. For example, perhaps you lack a particular skill, qualification, or certificate. You may need to invest in additional training or a course to upskill yourself. Alternatively, it may be something more straightforward in the way you came across in the interview. In that case, you can always video yourself and watch back to work on your body language and how you answer questions. Learning from the feedback and taking action is all you can do to fill the gaps and prepare as best as you can for the next opportunity. Overcoming these obstacles could be the difference between you getting the job or not next time.
Being able to cope with the ups and downs of the job-hunting process is the key to your success. Work on developing a resilient mindset to not miss out on opportunities because you’re not in a positive state. Take a constructive approach when faced with a setback and focus on the opportunity to learn. You can’t succeed without failure, and you’ll struggle to progress if you continually play it safe. Focus on the positive and look to find a solution, which is the key to becoming more resilient. It might even help for you to read up on 3 career lessons from 2020 to help you in 2021.
Summary
It’s essential to live in reality and understand that an interview or job offer will not occur every single time. Everyone is in the same situation as you. Sometimes you can’t beat another candidate who ticks all the boxes for the job. Getting concrete feedback will help put the rejection in perspective. It will set you apart from others who won’t follow up and learn how they could have done better. However, it’s what you do with the feedback that counts. Focusing on improving and developing your mindset to become more resilient should be ongoing. It will allow you to focus on ensuring you don’t stall and miss out on opportunities. While we all want to have jobs and careers we love, remember to spend time with friends, family and take the time to exercise. Learning to accept rejection is part of the process on your way to finding your dream job and career.
Let Me Know Your Thoughts Below:
How do you handle job rejection? What do you do to move on? Let me know in the comments below.