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How to deal with rejection


1. Accept it 

The first thing you should do upon getting the news is to accept that these things happen. It might have nothing to do with you – perhaps they went with an internal hire or decided to change the make up of the role completely.

The last thing you should do is burn any bridges. Don’t bad mouth the company (verbally or through social media) or send the hiring manager a nasty email. You never know what the future holds! Your resume will still be on file and they might keep you in mind for future roles.

2. Learn from it

Every experience yields a lesson. Avoid overanalysing, going over the interview again and again in your head.  Get in touch with the interviewer or hiring manager and find out the exact reasons for the rejection. Once you’re better informed, you will know what the next steps are. Whether it’s taking a course to further develop certain skills in which you’re lacking or being more detailed when speaking about your experiences.


3. Dust yourself off, and pick yourself up

Out with the old and in with the new! If you find that you’ve been negatively affected by the rejection, get back out there and start applying – rather than letting that feeling simmer. Approach the companies that have yet to get back to you or are on your ‘saved list’. Now that you’ve gotten feedback regarding the previous interview, you’ll know how to better tackle the next one.


4. Narrow your search  

Evaluate what you’ve been doing over the course of your career and deduce what your key strengths are. Knowing what you’re good at and how to communicate these strengths is just the ego boost you need to get back out there, post-rejection.

If you’ve been headhunted by a company or recruitment consultant, don’t be averse to turning down opportunities where you feel you’re not suited (your turn to do the rejecting!). Have a long discussion with the recruitment consultant, pinpointing the direction in which you see your career heading.


5. Be open to advice

Sometimes it’s hard for us to figure out what we’re doing wrong. Getting advice from a recruitment consultant can not only help you with narrowing your job search (point 4) but they’ll be able to provide advice and recommend if there are any improvements you should be doing – whether in your CV, interview style, etc. Work closely with a recruitment consultant to establish aligned goals and you just might get exactly what you want.

 
At the end of the day, don’t be discouraged when you’re turned down. Make sure you always have a back up plan. Sometimes, Plan B may work out better for you in the long run.

If you would like to receive further advice about job hunting, feel free get in touch with a member of our team by clicking here.

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