Nobody likes to be told they didn’t get the job. Rejection has a sting! But there can be some good things about it if you use that “NO” like a tool for making your job search better. There are more, but here are three reasons that job rejection can be good:
It gives you a chance to find out where you can improve. Most interviewers will have no problem explaining why you did not get the job if you ask them respectfully without arguing. Think of it as free career counseling and use it to focus on what to work on in your job search. Sometimes they will tell you that they’d like to keep your name on file for future positions as they open up and the only reason you didn’t get this job is because someone with more experience or seniority applied.
It gives you an opportunity to learn from any mistakes. Maybe you really didn’t do that interview well, or you forgot to turn off your cell phone. Is your resume updated and appropriately designed for the job? Did you vent your frustrations with your previous job? Were you dressed like you cared about this position?
It gives you motivation to keep looking if you change your perspective. To paraphrase a famous quote by Thomas Edison, now you know that job isn’t right for you. Job rejections are like a search engine, narrowing down the choices by reducing the possible matches.
It’s tempting to put all your hopes on getting a specific job, but that is surely going to disappoint you.The reality is that many more rejections will probably be part of your job search because we rarely get the first job we apply for. Most of us have applied for jobs more times than we like to think about. Use these rejections to improve your skills and your resume: this is your chance to polish things up and that’s good!
Job rejection is an inevitable and discouraging part of the job search process–we’ve all been there.Even so, each rejection is a lesson learned; with this in mind, you can maintain the confidence necessary to move forward to your ideal job. When dealing with job rejection, the two most important things to do are to ask for feedback from your interviewer and keep in mind that being passed over for a job isn’t necessarily within your control. Getting Feedback Although job rejection might cause you to feel disappointed in your efforts, you can still gain something positive from each experience. Ask hiring managers what you can do to improve your chances in the future – some might be more than willing to give you some pointers if they felt you were a viable candidate who simply lost out to someone more qualified.
When you speak to the hiring manager, you can ask whether there are other opportunities within the company that might be a better fit for you. Even if there are no other open positions at that company, it doesn’t hurt to let them know of your interest in working for them. Your perseverance might pay off by landing you an even better job later on. Your interviewer is not your only valuable source of information; you can also talk with your friends and family. Some people are reluctant to do this because they feel that speaking about job rejection means admitting failure – as mentioned, this isn’t the case. Your friends and family can provide valuable guidance to steer you in the right direction. The more people you open up to, the more potential you will have to get interview tips or even job leads.
What You Can Do in the Future There are a few ways that you can improve your chances of being called back after a job interview. Most importantly, remember that job rejection is not a measure of your worth, so don’t take it personally. The job market is always competitive, even when the economy is thriving. Your confidence in yourself, or the lack thereof, will show, so always maintain a positive outlook in your job search. After each interview, step back from the experience and think of the things that you could have done differently. Many people become nervous at job interviews and as a result, they slip up in one way or another. Whether you stutter or don’t make enough eye contact, recognize those mistakes so that you don’t make them again.
In your future interviews, send a thank-you note to the interviewer as soon as possible. Thank him or her for speaking with you, and say that you look forward to hearing about the position. It’s assumed that job applicants are searching in more than one place for a job at any one time, so following up shows that you are genuinely interested in the job.
Dealing with job rejection can be tough, but it is something that everyone encounters at one point or another. Seeking feedback and realizing that some factors are beyond your control will help you to move forward in your job search and find an ideal fit for you.
