Rejected From A Job? Do This Instead Of Sulking

So you got rejected.

You’re in good company. The Career Launcher reports that a staggering 98% of candidates get rejected. According to CareerArc, 65% of job candidates never even hear back about an application.

Glassdoor found that out of 250 applications, only 4-6 candidates will be selected for an interview. 

PhDs will probably not contest these statistics. They have experienced their share of industry rejection.

I use the word “rejection” because it’s the standard industry term. In truth, you're not rejected from any job. You're just temporarily not going to work at that company. Does that seem overly optimistic? 

It isn’t.

3 Success-Oriented Strategies For PhDs To Move Beyond Rejection

Sometimes you think your interview went really well, and then you just never hear back.

Maybe somebody said they were going to give you a job referral. They might have promised to get back to you after a promising talk on LinkedIn.

Sometimes it's been weeks--or even months--and you're wondering what to do.

No matter where you got rejected in the job hunt process, this much is true:

Getting rejected stinks.

But guess what?

It’s part of the process. You know the chief difference between a master and a novice? The master has failed more times than the novice has even tried.

If you think I haven’t been rejected countless times, think again. PhDs will face rejection in the job hunt. It happens. 

And if you haven’t been rejected, you’re either incredibly lucky or you’re not trying.

Let’s talk about rejection and the 3 things that will push you past it.

1. Stop obsessing and follow your next job lead.

Don't pause your job search or obsess over the rejection. 

For a lot of qualified PhDs, it’s easy to face rejection and obsess over it - you want to know why.

This is natural. PhDs often have an inquisitive nature. We analyze everything.

A lot of us are a little bit introverted, so we live in our heads, and we think there's got to be a reason for the rejection. 

Stop obsessing. You probably did nothing wrong. 

Maybe they chose another candidate because he or she lived closer. Or they were prepping an internal candidate for the role, and they had to interview people externally because they're publicly traded. 

You have no idea and you will never know. 

Instead of obsessing, move forward with your next job lead. You should be pursuing multiple jobs at the same time. This way, you’re not as reliant on a single job lead.

Go after 30-50 different job leads at a time. You can do it - you just have to change your mindset. 

2. Show them you’re a professional by sending a courteous message.

PhDs seek knowledge - they want to be in the know, to understand the system.

They may ask employers why they didn’t get hired.

To you, this might just be innocent curiosity, but the employer doesn’t read it that way. For legal reasons, the employer doesn’t even want to answer that.

Assuming the person you’re talking to even knows the reason, they don’t want to be held accountable in a court of law. As far as they know, you might turn this into a lawsuit.

But in any case, the “why” question comes off as whiny or aggressive.

Instead of asking why, send them a nice message. Show them that you're a professional - that it doesn't bother you.

Tell them that you really appreciate the opportunity, that it was great getting to know them, and ask if they have any feedback on the things you discussed during the interview. 

It's okay to ask for a little bit of feedback, but don't ask why. 

Be positive, professional, and play the long game of improving your interview process - one meeting at a time. 

3. Prepare for the next opportunity by adding value and building a relationship.

There's never a point in your career where knowing a hiring manager is not a benefit. 

Strong personal relationships like these are always an industry advantage. You want good connections with people who decide on things like job hires and salaries.

After a rejection, reach out and find a way to add value to whomever interviewed you. Adding value can mean all kinds of things. Maybe you:

• Find a way to help them in their job.
• Ask them for professional advice.
• Ask if there are other jobs they're trying to fill, and connect them with other job seekers in your network.

These are great ways to show them that you're a professional. But the main reason you do all of this? 

You’re letting them know that rejection doesn't bother you. 

They will respect you at a high level because of this, and they may even think of you when a new position opens up. As you continue to communicate with them, you’re building a rapport. You are no longer an unknown. 

Your resume is still on file, and you’ve shown them you’re a competent, mature candidate who adds value.

So don’t close the door on an opportunity by taking personal offense to a rejection. Realize that rejection is an opportunity for networking. Today’s failed interview could be tomorrow’s job referral.

Are you a PhD?

Are you ready to work smarter--not harder--and see your job interview efforts pay off?

Share your successes and failures with me in a comment below.

To learn more about transitioning into industry, including how to gain instant access to industry career training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, a complete industry transition plan, and a private online job referral network for PhDs only, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association.