6 ways to deal with job rejections

Being rejected for a job can be difficult, but making changes to be better prepared will help you move forward positively. Take rejection as an opportunity to improve your skills and discover a new way to sell yourself.

So what should you do after a rejection?:

Don’t take it personally

Rejection happens. It can be hard to deal with but it’s something that everyone has dealt with. With job rejections, it’s easy to take it personally and feel bad. Maybe you didn’t get the job because you weren’t qualified or maybe it was just because someone else did better in the interview. 

Whatever it may be, just remember that when one door closes, another one opens. There’s nothing wrong with getting rejected. Don’t let it stop you from looking for jobs. 

Vacancies in companies are filled according to the needs they require at that moment and depending on their medium-term growth prospects.

Therefore, it may be that your profile does not fit at that precise moment, with what the company is looking for, but who knows if in the future, they decide to count on you: a person, no doubt, with more training and experience than the one they met some time ago.

Keep going

It’s easy to feel defeated, and it’s tempting to give up on your job search. But don’t give in! Instead, keep looking for jobs until you find one that’s a good fit for your skills and interests. Also try applying for a wider range of positions, you might find something interesting that you hadn’t found before. 

A rejection means that you’re one step closer to the right job for you. It can take time—and a lot of applications and interviews—to land the perfect job. So keep your spirits up by keeping busy with other things (like hobbies or volunteering) while also continuing to apply for available positions in your field of interest.

Learn from the experience

Assess your performance. Reflect on your performance in job interviews, think on what you can improve whether it be how you answered questions or even your own body language. Analyze your CV and cover letter to see how you can showcase your skills more strongly.

Ask for feedback

Potential employers or recruiters can give you useful feedback to help you in the job search process. Use this information to make corrections.

This can be helpful because some mistakes are easier to fix than others; if someone says your interview skills or work samples weren’t at the level they were looking for, then these things can be improved fairly easily— if someone says something like “Your nerves got the best of you” then you can practice job interview strategies and prepare yourself for your next interview.

Stay positive

It is important to stay positive, even when it feels tough. Try to see the bright side of rejection: you’ve learned something about yourself and what you want from your career. If a job doesn’t work out for you, focus on the next step rather than dwelling on the past—and remember that there are many other jobs out there! 

After an interview, think about what went well and send a thank-you note to the interviewer thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in the position. This will reinforce your professionalism and demonstrate that you’re invested in building relationships with people who can help advance your career.

Even if you don’t get the role, it will leave the recruiter with a good impression of you. 

Also, job interviews or applying for positions, helps you make yourself known. This expands your network and could lead to more connections in the future.

Take a break

You will be able to think more clearly after taking a break from the stressful process of searching for a job, and can come back to the hunt with renewed energy. Do something that makes you feel good.You can spend this time in any way that’s helpful for you: spend time with friends, exercise, watch TV shows or movies that make you laugh, learn new skills—the options are endless. 

Just make sure to disconnect from the job search during this time—try not even looking at your email until after several days have passed so that you can actually relax.

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