Being rejected after a job interview can impact your confidence and may even prevent you from applying for other job roles in fear that you’ll be turned down again. It’s easy to take rejection personally, as it may be simply down to the fact that there was a more experienced candidate who had applied, rather than any mistakes you made.
Having the mindset that you have failed can make it harder to bounce back after rejection from a job, but it’s important to put strategies in place and aim to change your mindset to allow you to put the past behind you and move forward.
Look at the positives
Instead of thinking about the negatives of the situation, it’s best to put a positive spin on it and understand what you have learned from the experience. Every single job application and interview process you go through adds to your experience and ultimately, develops your confidence in being able to handle these situations.
If you believe you performed to the best of your ability, showed off your skills and talents and communicated your points clearly and effectively, then you should try and accept that it probably wasn’t the right job for you anyway. Instead of worrying about what you could have done better, take comfort in knowing that you did everything in your power at that moment and now, put your energy back into the job search.
Ask for feedback
If you get a phone call or email explaining that you didn’t get the job, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on what went wrong and how you can learn from it. In most cases, it is simply down to the experience and skill set of the candidate, rather than slip-ups, but taking on any advice that is given to you should help you improve next time around. If you believe the information you have been given is a little generic, ask if they can provide a more detailed analysis.
Limit your search
If you weren’t already aware, the job market is becoming even more competitive than ever before. Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, businesses have been put under further pressure to employ individuals and especially young people between the ages of 16-25 who have been the worst affected by the economic crisis. With this in mind, there is an immense amount of pressure to secure a job role, but that doesn’t mean you should apply for every single position that comes available.
Be choosy regarding the roles you’re applying for. It may be the case that you’re applying for jobs that aren’t matching your skillset closely enough, which is the reason why you’re getting multiple rejections. If you find a job that you’re interested in, make sure you do as much research into the company history, its ethos and the tasks you’ll be expected to do to get an idea if you would be the right fit.
With the uncertainty of the situation we’re currently facing, having the trait of resilience is vital to winning in the job market. It’s important to understand that each obstacle you face is another opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Remember, it happens to every single person at some stage, so you aren’t alone. Dust yourself off and keep trying until you reach your goal.
