Rejection may be an inevitable part of the job search process, but it doesn’t take away the initial sting you feel when an opportunity you were excited about is suddenly gone. How you recover after not landing a job is what will determine your success going forward. Learn more about what you should do if you didn’t get the job:
Ask for Feedback
If possible, reduce the amount of guesswork needed and ask the hiring manager for feedback on why you weren’t selected. Send a polite email thanking them for the consideration and asking if they can give you any feedback as to why you weren’t selected. Their company policy may prevent them from doing so, but if not, it has the potential to be very helpful for you going forward.
Review Your Strategy
In order to determine where your strengths lie and where you could make some changes in your job search, first review your current strategy. Try to remove yourself emotionally and be as objective as possible. Consider everything from where you sourced your job lead to how you wrote your cover letter to how you prepared for your interview, and then brainstorm ways you could do things differently going forward. Eventually, you’ll find the strategy that works best for you.
Clarify Your Goals
Once you’ve figured out your new strategy, it’s time to clarify your goals. Be as specific as possible – if you feel like you dropped the ball in the interview, don’t set the goal of “practice more for interviews.” Instead, commit to more defined goals, such as “determine my top three key points and practice delivering them with confidence” or “arrange to go through a mock interview with a friend.” This will give you a clear path on where to focus your efforts and determine if you are making progress.
Move On
While reflecting on the circumstances surrounding your job rejection can be a learning opportunity, it’s crucial to not let yourself wallow or get too hung up on this one experience. Let yourself feel disappointed and think over what improvements you could make, and then move on. Remind yourself that it’s not personal, it happens to just about all job seekers out there, and that you are building resilience through this adversity.
We Can Help You Find a Job
Make your job search more successful with the help of PrideStaff Akron. We work with area employers to match them with top candidates for their open positions, from temporary to permanent. Search our current available jobs to get started.
Leave a Reply