Bouncing Back from Rejection

Rejections can be difficult 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 getting that position 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 time for an internship or two and even ensured that you did everything perfectly right up to the interview.

But that rejection email made you stop right there in your tracks and question everything – your efforts, capabilities and your future.

Don’t let the words “We regret to inform you” define you as a person. Get through the different stages of rejection and watch as it strengthens your character and enhances your approach to the application process.

So allow yourself to go through the grief, briefly. Then, with a little positivity, turn your disappointment into motivation, and use it to develop your personality and resilience to find your dream job!

With experience, you’ll understand that job-hunting is unlike the passes and fails that have defined 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 rejections is you.

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

1 Deal with the rejection

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

Understand that sometimes the odds are just not in your favour – there may have been an overwhelming number of equally excellent candidates applying for the same position. So stay confident in your abilities and know that you have plenty to offer.

2 Ask for feedback

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

Was there a better qualified candidate? Did they think you weren’t the best fit for their company culture? Look for opportunities to gain relevant work experience.

The information you receive may seem vague at times – “we decided to go in another direction” – but ask anyway. You never know if you’ll get something constructive!

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 4 Move forward

The job-hunting process isn’t as straightforward 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 rejection as a learning experience and let it hone your hunting skills.

Remember to respect the recruiter’s decision – it’s possible that you simply weren’t a good match for the role on offer. Don’t forget that paper qualifications and excellent interviewing skills aren’t enough to secure a position with an organisation; it’s also up to the recruiter’s discretion to ascertain if you’re the best possible fit for the company.

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

With a bit of patience, you may possibly end up with the right role for your skill sets and personality. Once you’ve fully come to terms with your first rejection, work on getting 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 realistic expectation of the process.

Don’t give up on other applications. Resilience throughout the job-hunting process is necessary as it’s common for an applicant to receive several rejections before securing a job offer.

There’s no fixed rate of success or shortcut, so you might get accepted for a position after the first few tries, or find yourself sending out dozens of applications before finally getting a foot in the door. Have faith that your tenacity will pay off 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 diffuse your frustrations.

Don’t be discouraged if your peers get job offers before you do. Focus your energy on improving your situation 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 expertise may help you move in the right direction.