How to cope with rejection while job searching

If you're like the most of job seekers, getting a job rejection could be so upsetting. You might have feelings of failure and isolation as a result.

But refrain from criticizing yourself!

The publisher of J.K. Rowling's work rejected it, Michael Jordan was kicked out from his high school basketball team for "lack of skill," Oprah's skin tone led to her rejection, Jackie Chan's English caused him to be denied from Holywood, and there are surely more examples throughout history.

Much more significant than the rejection itself are your response and subsequent actions.

You will discover a few things from this essay that will enable you to view the rejection in a different light.

• Don’t take it personal?

First and foremost, there is no point in taking the rejection personally.

There are multiple reasons why companies reject applicants, and oftentimes they have nothing to do with their skills, qualities or presentation.

There might be a hiring freeze, change of a hiring manager or business needs, budget constraints, internal hire or even relocation of the role.

• Get a feedback?

An fair and direct feedback is the best thing you could take from your rejection.

Not only will it help you understand what went wrong, but will also help you improve your future job applications.

Remember that employers don’t owe you a feedback, so pay attention to how you ask for it. Your request should be respectful, polite and concise.

Try something like:

“Thank you for taking time and speaking with me earlier last week. While I remain interested in the role, a little feedback as to why I wasn’t selected for the role would be of a great help for me and could improve my chances for the future applications.”

• Revisit your approach

In some cases, a rejection just means that the employer has found a better fit.

Try to look back and analyze your application. Most of the time, deep inside, we know what might have gone wrong.

Perhaps, you weren’t very well prepared for that call? Or maybe, you didn’t show too much interest or motivation? Or you did have a bad day and the interviewer could sense it?

If the rejections are recurrent, it would be helpful to review the entire strategy too.

• Focus on your skills and value

The fact that one single company did not decide in your favour doesn’t eliminate years of experience and skills that you possess.

Don’t worry: your ideal match of a company is waiting for you.

It would be helpful to contemplate and jot down all of your skills, abilities, expertise, and things that make you unique. You could add some of the positive testimonials or feedbacks that you have ever gotten in your working life.

This exercise helps looking at yourself from a different angle and also improve your confidence and ability to navigate your future interviews.

• Be realistic?

As a Recruiter and Career Coach, I’ve seen so many people whose expectations were very far from reality.

While looking for work, it’s as just as important to know your worth as to know your limits. A new grad will never be selected for a senior level role, and a new hire will hardly ever have the same benefits package as someone who works for a company for 10 years.

COVID has shut down many roles and even industries, but also opened the world of remote work, which is now getting closed down by the current financial crisis. Adjust your job search to the current reality.

Have you ever been rejected for a job? What have helped you overcome it?

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