Bouncing Back from Rejection

Rejections can be difcult to move on from, but it’s not the end of the world. Take a deep breath and consider practising the following tips to help get you through these trying times!

Here’s the truth: not getng that positon you have pined and prepared so thoroughly for doesn’t make you a failure. You put in the 100 per cent for your grades, somehow made tme for an internship or two and even ensured that you did everything perfectly right up to the interview.

But that rejecton email made you stop right there in your tracks and queston everything – your eforts, capabilites and your future.

Don’t let the words “We regret to inform you” defne you as a person. Get through the diferent stages of rejecton and watch as it strengthens your character and enhances your approach to the applicaton process.

So allow yourself to go through the grief, briefy. Then, with a litle positvity, turn your disappointment into motvaton, and use it to develop your personality and resilience to fnd your dream job!

With experience, you’ll understand that job-huntng is unlike the passes and fails that have defned your academic career so far; there’s no clear-cut way of determining the real reason behind your results, and the only person keeping count of the number of rejectons is you.

Be patent, humble and trudge on – in tme, you’ll get matched with the right job and fnd yourself safely established in a career you enjoy.

1 Deal with the rejection

The most important rule about dealing with rejecton is to not take it personally. Respond professionally and prevent yourself from overthinking about the reason behind your unsuccessful applicaton.

Understand that sometmes the odds are just not in your favour – there may have been an overwhelming number of equally excellent candidates applying for the same positon. So stay confdent in your abilites and know that you have plenty to ofer.

2 Ask for feedback

When in doubt, ask. If you went through several rounds of interviews and various assessment tests and stll come out short, ask the interviewer for feedback and decide how best to tweak your next applicaton.

Was there a beter qualifed candidate? Did they think you weren’t the best ft for their company culture? Look for opportunites to gain relevant work experience.

The informaton you receive may seem vague at tmes – “we decided to go in another directon” – but ask anyway. You never know if you’ll get something constructve!

However, don’t be overly persistent if recruiters take a while to respond or don’t get back to you at all.

3 Trust the system

The job-huntng process isn’t as straightorward as you might think, so dwelling on something that isn’t within your control will only do you more harm than good. Instead, count every rejecton as a learning experience and let it hone your huntng skills.

Remember to respect the recruiter’s decision – it’s possible that you simply weren’t a good match for the role on ofer. Don’t forget that paper qualifcatons and excellent interviewing skills aren’t enough to secure a positon with an organisaton; it’s also up to the recruiter’s discreton to ascertain if you’re the best possible ft for the company.

So be humble and take this as an opportunity to do some realistc selfanalysis on the type of role and work environment you’re most suitable for. Once you’ve gained some perspectve on the recruitment process and some self-awareness on what you can ofer, you’ll be able to beter market yourself to recruiters at your next interview.

With a bit of patence, you may possibly end up with the right role for your skill sets and personality.

4 Move forward

Once you’ve fully come to terms with your frst rejecton, work on getng back into the game. At this point, you should be armed with a stronger resume, be more adept at handling interviews, and have a more realistc expectaton of the process.

Don’t give up on other applicatons. Resilience throughout the job-huntng process is necessary as it’s common for an applicant to receive several rejectons before securing a job ofer.

There’s no fxed rate of success or shortcut, so you might get accepted for a positon afer the frst few tries, or fnd yourself sending out dozens of applicatons before fnally getng a foot in the door. Have faith that your tenacity will pay of in the long run.

Also, keep in mind that it’s more than likely your friends are going through the same experience – sharing your feelings may help difuse your frustratons.

Don’t be discouraged if your peers get job ofers before you do. Focus your energy on improving your situaton instead. If you’re in need of guidance, don’t shy away from seeking the counsel of your school’s career advisors. Their pool of resources and expertse may help you move in the right directon.