How To Deal With a Job Rejection
How to Deal With a Job Rejection
Picture this, the job search is on. You have had a few interviews with companies you quite like, and your experience is a good fit for the role. But then all of a sudden, you experience job rejection.
Firstly, you’re not on your own in experiencing rejection after an interview. Even if you were feeling confident, it doesn’t mean that a rejection hurts any less. Your confidence may take a knock, especially if your job search was positive up until this point. All these feelings are perfectly valid and normal.
But we are here to tell you that this rejection is just a stumbling block on your way to landing your dream role. Believe in yourself and your abilities!
It is important to remember that the way you handle rejection is just as important as the skills on your CV. Allowing rejection to knock your confidence and make you doubt your abilities, will negativley effect your interview performance.
If you are struggling with a recent job rejection, we have put all our decades of recruitment experience together. We can offer you advice on how best to deal with the emotions you are feeling right now. You can springboard from these emotions into a positive mindset to start searching again.
1. It’s in your human nature to be affected by rejection
Rejection weighs heavily on our minds because our brains are programmed to focus more on the negative rather than positive. This hard-wiring is why a rejection can feel completely disheartening to us. The reality is that you may be exaggerating the reasons behind why you were rejected from a role. This is what is causing you to feel so unmotivated to carry on your job search.
If you were rejected from the role because you are simply not the correct fit for the role. We advise that you take a step back and realise that you may be overgeneralising the situation. Just because you have been told you are not right for one job does not mean you won’t be right for others.
In reality, you are still a strong candidate and you should remember that one rejection doesn’t define you. Take this stage in your job-seeking process as an opportunity to start fresh.
2. A rejection is all part of the process
It’s a hard fact that facing a rejection is all part of the job application process. You’re not going to get every job that you apply for, no one does! Coming to grips with a rejection is really important in building your emotional resilience.
Plus, a job rejection is a great opportunity to start thinking outside the box. If you move away from the classic structure of job – apply – outcome you will open your mind to a more informal approach to a job hunt. This could open many doors for you as a job seeker. For example, connecting with a company you would like to work with either through an e-mail, a direct message on Linkedin, etc. Could open up a conversation with an employer who isn’t actively recruiting at the moment, but may be in the future. And who would be on the top of their recruitment list? YOU!
3. Identify learnings and build a personal development plan
Think about feedback from past rejections, and from appraisals and the like. Are there any recurring themes? What should your development priorities be?
Make a note of any weaknesses or issues that you can do something about. Use these as a focus for the way you approach your preparation next time.
Turn these requirements into a plan. What can you do to fix the gaps in your performance? Depending on the issue, there may be some training or informal coaching you can undertake to help you develop. Or it may simply be a case of working harder on some of your answers, and finding someone to practise them with.
4. Build resilience
In today’s rapidly changing workplace. Technologies are accelerating and companies transforming to develop a resilient mindset for long-term success.
See each setback as a challenge to grow both your self-understanding and your ability to bounce back. Overcoming obstacles on your career path will increase your chances of landing the right role. So make a point of staying constructive, and do all you can to learn from the experience.
After all, getting turned down from a job happens to everyone. The most important thing is what you learn from the experience.
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