It happens to the best of us – the perfect job that you know suits you down to the ground, you got through to the final rounds of interviews and prepared yourself as thoroughly as you could – and the role was given to someone else.
The emotions are gut-wrenching. The rejection on its own stings but added to this is the quashing of your hopes and dreams. You know it will take your time to get over the disappointment.
Here are six top tips to help you bounce back and come back stronger!
- Ask for detailed feedback
Depending on how far down the process you managed to get, asking for feedback would give you some valuable insight into what you could have done better, what you could have improved on, and what you did actually get right.
Don’t forget that often rejection is not a case of you not being right for the job – simply that there was someone else who was the little bit ‘righter’. Any information you can glean that you can then weave into your next round of applications could be that knife edge that gives you the advantage.
While asking for feedback, don’t forget to thank the company for the opportunities and experience you gained from the process. It will leave a good impression and you never know what may come up in the future.
- Review and reflect
Your emotions may be high, but don’t let them rule your behaviour. Take a step back, remember that the rejection is not personal, review any feedback with a dispassionate eye, and reflect on what you can do going forward from now.
Do, however, give yourself a little time to process the rejection. Don’t mask it or pretend that it doesn’t hurt – because it does. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from it and grow as a result.
- Identify learning and create a personal development plan
As part of your review and reflection process, you will begin to understand how powerful this experience can actually be for you. One of the things we tend not to get taught at school is how to deal with rejection – but as an adult. it is a regular part of life. As an adult, you start to see rejection in every area of your life.
Learning how to take rejection and grow from it will actually make you a far more appealing candidate for future roles. There are many famous people who have been rejected many times – Walt Disney, JK Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates are just a few – and look where they all are now!
- Be Philosophical
How you process rejection is a mindset, an attitude. The best thing about mindsets and attitudes is that they are malleable – you can change them and strengthen them. Being philosophical about a rejection means that you will not dwell too long or too negatively on the hurt and start to focus more on what your next step is going to be.
- Refine your search
Now is the time to get back on that job hunting horse and get your CV out to some more companies.
- Build resilience
Give yourself praise and credit for getting through the rejection emotionally unscathed and actually coming back stronger and more resilient. Resilience is a gradual learning process, and you’ve just come through one of its biggest tests. You may face the same again – in fact, you may go through it several times as you continue job-hunting, but every time you do, you will be stronger, and ultimately that will come through in the right job interview.
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