Okay, so you’ve been rejected for a job…. so what?

 

It's how you deal with the feeling and the feedback, that’s what matters.

 

Reflection plays a big part in your personal growth; rejection is just another element of understanding yourself, embrace it.

 

 

 

 

It can be harder to accept that you have been rejected, especially after the work and preparation you have put in but there’s a solution to turn the not so good news into a learning development lesson.

 

ASK

 

Ask and listen to your feedback, you want to know where you have gone wrong and what you can improve on for your next business opportunity. If the feedback sounds too vague don’t be afraid to ask for a more in-depth assessment, remember you have put a lot of effort into the process.

 

 

 

 

Review and Reflect

 

So, you’ve come to terms with your rejection and the decision of the employer. Now you just want to brush it under the carpet and never think about it again, right? WRONG!

 

It can be tempting but you would be missing out on an amazing learning opportunity. Go over your feedback and the interview itself and strip it right back to how you prepared and how you researched for the company.

 

If the interview process was in stages, then at each stage rank your performance. You should be asking yourself what you thought went well? And what could you have done differently? Could you have answered any questions in a more detailed way?

 

 

 

 

Maybe you could have prepared a little better, building relationships with your interview incorporating your personality?

 

Remember you don’t do this every day, you maybe haven’t attended an interview for years, practice makes perfect there is always room to improve, Identify learnings and build a personal development plan.

 

Have you recently had feedback from other interviews that you were unsuccessful in? Maybe have a look at occurring themes in the feedback. Could you change your approach?

 

Take a note of any issues that you can change, and work and shape them that works for you in your next interview.

 

You could maybe enquire about training or some coaching to help you develop where you are lacking.

 

 

 

 

Be Philosophical

 

Sometimes the interview just doesn’t go your way because it is simply out of your hands. For example, if the business is looking for someone with tons of sales experience (which you don’t have) you simply can’t learn this overnight.

 

You could have had chemistry and felt like the interview went well but it doesn’t necessarily mean the role is perfect for you.

 

Refine your search

 

After the rejection did you ever feel like the company and the role just wasn’t for you? It might be a blessing in disguise.

 

Have a look at the job description and go over the role ask yourself would you enjoy this if you were doing it on a day-to-day basis?

 

 

 

 

Use your experience to help you refine future job searches. Are you perhaps looking at keywords that don’t quite match your ambitions and aspirations? Did the role that went with the job title not quite match your expectations? Did the interview make you realise that this is not quite the right sort of job for you? And if not, then what is?

 

Build Resilience

 

See each setback as a challenge to grow both your self-understanding and your ability to bounce back and deal with disappointment. 

 

 

 

 

Overcoming obstacles on your career path will increase your chances of landing the right role. So make a point of staying constructive, and do all you can to learn from the experience to help you get ready for the next opportunity.

 

After all, getting turned down from a job happens to everyone, the most important thing is what you learn from the experience.