Let’s be realistic, we are not guaranteed to land every job that we apply for. Competition is tough, you are not the only person who had seen the job and applied for it.
That was your dream employer; you had everything they asked for i.e. Job requirement- check, right attitude- check but still I didn't get the job. Where did you go wrong? We have all asked this question repeatedly probably a bit more than we'd care to admit. My 'AHA!' moment did not come to me until I decided to look at the positive side. It took me a week to get over the fact that I did not get the opportunity to work in my dream company.
What did I do? Many of you might ask.
Process Emotions
It’s natural to feel angry or frustrated when job hunting. As a human being with feelings, I was very angry to see the email read REGRET FOR …. My self-esteem went down and I was at the edge of giving up. I had to get over it and so I did what I love doing most, Softball. My head cleared and I felt recharged for the next round of job hunting.
Send a thank you note
Sending a thank you note after a rejection is never easy. But it's necessary to maintain a good image regardless. I thanked them for giving me the opportunity and asked them to keep me in mind in case another opportunity arises.
Ask for feedback
You're probably wondering, how will it help me? Afterall they didn't pick you. Asking for feedback gives you insight on where you went wrong. You might have made mistakes that could be improved on in subsequent interviews. Asking for feedback helped me land my current job.
Don’t take it personally
Easier said than done. More often than not we take it personally and over analyze; did they not like the way I looked or dressed, were they jealous of me, or did I look like their worst enemy. All these thoughts ran through my mind, I couldn’t help it. Guess what it was probably neither of those things.
Remember that it’s part of the process
We are not guaranteed to land on every job that we apply to. Competition is tough, you are not the only person who saw the job and applied for it. I had to let go of my entitlement to guaranteed outcomes and opened myself up to a world of other possibilities, other jobs and companies that could be a better fit.
Working on my Network
I am generally a talkative person, and I ensured that my networks were aware that I was job hunting and if they came across opportunities they would inform me. Just like me, your subconscious will probably tell you that you are opening yourself up for more rejection, it would do you good to remember ‘Rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.’
In conclusion, always face rejection in a positive way. Instead of wasting time would probably be the deadline to your dream job, stay focused but most importantly remember No one is perfect but practice makes perfect. The rejection only brings you one step closer to your job.
