It stings when you are not hired after an interview for a job you really wanted. It stings even more when you are sure you are well-qualified for the position and have worked hard on your resume and interview skills. What you do with rejection is going to make a big impact on what happens next.
Don’t Assume That You Are The Reason For Rejection
A company has to conduct interviews even if they already know someone inside the corporation is getting a position. It may be that you are well-qualified for the position, your resume is stellar, and you were impressive during the interview, but the person who is getting the job has the advantage of experience.
Getting into a downward spiral of dejection in this case is a mistake. You aren’t the reason for rejection if someone else is a better choice for the job because it isn’t your failure that determined the choice here.
Admit What Is Wrong
Sometimes you actually are the reason for the rejection. It might be that you didn’t seem like a good fit for the company culture, or you didn’t look the interviewer in the eye and that came across as sneaky. Maybe you were sloppy or had too much makeup or wore perfume that made their nose itch. Perhaps you checked your cell phone for messages during the interview or some other automatic habit was a problem.
The only way to know is to work on honing your interview skills and getting help identifying your blind spots.
Be Willing To Change And Learn
If you got to the interview stage, your resume and cover letter are probably not the problem. It’s not a bad idea to go over them to make sure your qualifications are evident for the next submission, but they were good enough to get you in the door for a face to face talk. Congratulations! An interview is still a good thing even if you didn’t get the job.
You have the experience of that interview to build on, and the knowledge that you were impressive enough to call in. Now it’s time to analyze what happened and learn from it. Appreciate all the advice you can gather, apply it analytically without letting your feelings get in the way, and let rejection be the catalyst that makes your success a reality.
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.
