Rejection never gets easy. No matter how long you’ve been in the work force, being passed over for a position always comes as a huge disappointment. The fact of the matter is that interviews are tough and the market is competitive. You may be extremely qualified, but chances are there will always be a candidate a little bit more qualified than you, or who simply had a stronger interview.
You usually have a good sense of how well you performed when you walk out of an interview. Even so, waiting is the hardest part. If you’re lucky, you just have to wait a few days before you find out. Other times, it could take several weeks (if it’s been longer than a month, though you might need to count your losses and move on).
However, whether you get a rejection from the company directly, or simply never hear back from them, it never feels good. Recovering from rejection is tough. But it’s about how you react in situations like this that will set you apart in your career moving forward.
Some folks stop looking for work altogether. And while the best thing for some folks may be to take a break and regroup before getting back out there, fully giving up is never a good option!
The worst part is you may never find out the reason why you were rejected. You might have some vague idea, but the interviewer isn’t exactly going to call you up and tell you what you did right and what you did wrong.
You can try to solicit feedback but, more than likely, you won’t get it. Hiring managers are busy and they can’t bother to provide feedback to every candidate they rejected.
You could let the dark clouds roll in and ruminate over every word and action from your interview. “Were my answers too lengthy? Did they cut the interview short?” Maybe.
Or maybe everything was perfect and you did everything right and they just decided to go with a different candidate. The reality is, it doesn’t matter.
What does matter is how you respond in the face of adversity. So collect yourself and hit the ground running!
Rejection can hit hardest when you’re unemployed. Or if you’re desperately looking to leave a job that you absolutely loathe. But you’ve go to be honest with yourself. Is that gut punch of rejection you’re feeling the result of losing out on an opportunity you really wanted? Or are you just so desperate for your next gig that anything will do? If it’s the latter, just let it go. There are more jobs. Keep looking! And if it was your dream job? Same response. The job search is a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race (and gets you a new job).
Rejection stings regardless of how bad you actually wanted the job. Taking care of your most physical, mental, and emotional needs will be the best way to shake off that sting. Be resilient. Sure, it’d be nice to nail our first interview right out the gate and get our dream job. But let’s be real: this rarely happens. Try to look at every rejection and every interview as an opportunity to hone your skills to get better. After all, it was iconic paper salesman Michael Scott who once quoted Wayne Gretzky as saying: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” You can’t win without losing over and over again. Don’t be afraid to fail a bunch of times. That way, when that perfect job comes along down the road, you’ll be more than ready!
Whether you’ve been recently rejected or are just looking for a new opportunity, Planet Technology is hiring! Or if you’re in a different industry, there’s a good chance one of the divisions of The Planet Group has a job you’re qualified for. We look forward to hearing from you!
Career advice | Finding a job | Interviewing tips for job seekers | Job search advice
