Every one of us faces a period of limbo when we submit a job application, and we are asked to wait for a response. That time feels like ages.
Your wait will be rewarded if you get your dream job, but if that does not happen, then it hurts. If you have done all the hard work during the job application process and you are very enthusiastic about getting it, but you are rejected, that may dishearten you. Still, with the right mindset, you can turn your rejection into your career development. Remember dealing with rejection is a great skill to poses that will only make you stronger if you master it.
What can you do?
Admit rejection as an essential part of life
Face the failure. No matter how you portray yourself on social media, there are several moments where you face loss, and that is not a big deal. No one is above failure, and it happens to everyone at some point in a career. The beauty of failing is that you recognize yourself and grow from it. If you accept failure with an open mind, new opportunities will welcome you, and new paths of success will begin in your life.
Get detailed feedback
Sometimes self-analysis will not portray a good picture of your rejection. Hence, you have to get a full understanding of the reason for your rejection. You can do this by asking for detailed feedback from the recruiter or employer.
Review and Consider
When you get a new chance, review the previous employer's detailed feedback and self-examine how you can improve now.
Go through your experience and feedback you received and scrutinize yourself from your preparation, research, interaction with the interviewer, and any follow-up.
Examine every step and find out where you did wrong. Ask questions to yourself like what I did well? And what was my mistake? Identify the deficiencies and check: Have you prepared your presentation thoroughly? Was there any question to the interviewer you think you could have answered better?
There is always room to improve, so review yourself and move on with a better understanding.
Focus on your personal development
When you get the feedback, you will find that maybe there were some recruiting themes. You have to focus on your personal development. For the next interview, note your weaknesses and problems and try not to repeat them. Focus on requirements and turn them into a plan. Fix the gaps in your performance. To improve your developmental skills, you may join a training session or work hard to improve yourself on your own. You can also practice with someone else who can help.
Be Realistic
Sometimes you are refused by a company based on things you can not change. For example, an employer may prefer someone who knows a local language, and you do not, or he may prefer someone with extraordinary client management skills. Still, you do not have those skills, and you can not change yourself overnight. Be realistic and focus on the things you can change. Maybe that role was not perfect for you. Sometimes chemistry plays a vital role in a successful working arrangement.
Cultivate your research
Sometimes, when you get rejected and get feedback, you find that this job is not perfect. Review the job specification before applying for the role and think if it is for you or not. If you are not excited and feel like the role will not satisfy you, then the interviewer will feel it as well. Look for a job that is close to your ambition and aspiration. Go for an interview for a job that meets your expectations. Refine your research for a specific job.
Build Strength
If you want to become successful, you must become resilient to survive in this rapidly changing world of technology. Look at each obstacle as a challenge to grow and improve your self-insight and your capability to tackle setbacks. Overcoming barriers on your way to success will lead you to the right role, so be productive and learn from the previous experiences to improve yourself for the next upcoming opportunity.
Rebuild your self-confidence
When you review your resume and experience, and you think that you are the right candidate for this job but still were rejected - remember that any job rejection does not define you, so instead of being disappointed, try to restore your self-confidence.
Keep on job exploring.
After your job rejection, you may feel down, so it is necessary to hunt for a new opportunity. When you search for a new job, you will forget what went wrong, and you will keep your mind busy. You can use your job rejection to motivate yourself and spend more time and effort searching for a new and better opportunity.
It is Not only you
Uncommonly lucky people get every job, but most of us get rejected from few jobs first. Getting rejected is like getting dumped. At that time is hard not to feel disappointed, miserable, or demotivated. Recognise that moment and change your mentality. Stay focused, professional and tackle those feelings. You can control some things in your life but not all of them. Do not take anything personally. Shake yourself up and believe that there is another job that is perfect for you.
Move On
Identify your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Stick to a job search plan. Be positive when you search for a new role. Improve your resume and interviewing skills.
After all, everyone gets rejected from time to time, but the most crucial point is what you learned from your experience and how you tackled your disappointment.
