How to Handle Job Rejection

It stands to sense that with the economy the way it is and the job market ever more competitive, that most job-seekers are going to have to face being rejected for a job at one point or another. No matter how well qualified or how experienced you may be, there is the possibility that an employer may not feel you are quite right for their vacancy. Being rejected for a job might happen because you never hear back from an employer or it could be that you get rejected by not being shortlisted for interview and of course it could also mean being rejected after attending interview and possibly going through a lengthy recruitment process. No matter when or how it happens though, it’s never particularly easy to deal with – not easy, but certainly not impossible. We’ve put together some basic tips on how to handle job rejection which hopefully should help you if you get that dreaded ‘We regret to inform you…’ letter or email.

Don’t Dwell on It

If you have had your heart set on a particular job and have spent lots of time and effort on your CV, researching the company and preparing for interview, it can be a real blow to be rejected. The key thing though is not to devote even more time and effort into over-analysing what went wrong. By dwelling solely on this unsuccessful event, you are perhaps wasting valuable time in looking towards the future. What’s happened has happened and right now you can’t change that. It’s a matter of learning from it and taking that next step forward.

Try and get feedback

Getting feedback from an interviewer is not always easy. They may have moved on and their attention turned beyond that particular vacancy now it has been filled. That doesn’t mean however that you should not try to seek it. Call the interviewer or email them and be polite in your request. Thank them for the opportunity for being considered for the position and then ask them if they can provide you with any basic or constructive feedback as to why you were deemed unsuccessful. A good company and interviewer should appreciate your request and do their best to respond to you. If they don’t provide any feedback despite your repeated requests, simply move on regardless. If they do provide feedback for you, make sure that you remain professional and don’t resort to a verbal or email battle when you receive it.

Keep improving yourself

If you are not working when job searching, dealing with rejection can be particularly hard. It’s therefore more important than ever to devote time and effort to improving your employability further. Whether that means undertaking some voluntary work or improving your I.T or language skills, it would all be worth it. Again, putting your efforts into something which will have a positive impact on you as a potential candidate can only be a good thing. If you are working and have been rejected for a job, again it’s not all doom and gloom. Other job opportunities will arise. Keep reminding yourself that the job you are in does not have to be the only job you ever have. While you are there, you are continuing to develop your experience and skills so make the most of any training that you may receive – it is bound to benefit you down the line.

Look to the future

It’s important to remember that this job is not the only job out there – yes, jobs are scarcer these days and this job may have been your dream job , however other jobs do exist. For whatever reason at this point in your career, this is not the job for you. It’s worthwhile then taking stock of things, perhaps re-evaluating your job search, looking at other opportunities which exist and perhaps looking at new ways of actually finding a job. By adopting a fresh proactive approach you can help combat any negative thoughts which naturally can appear as a result of rejection.

Rejection isn’t easy at any point in life. However it’s important to remember that it’s not a permanent thing. Bad times pass too. We hope that you find these basic tips useful. Got any others that you’d like to share? Why not let us know via the comments section below.