Job searches are long and stressful. After weeks or months of work customizing your resume, researching companies, preparing for interviews, doing interviews and getting called back, it can be incredibly demoralizing to find out you didn’t get a job you really wanted. Rejection stings, but you can’t let it keep you down. Here are some tips to help you move forward after job rejection.
Don’t Take It Personally
It’s easy to take job rejection personally, but it’s important to do your best not to. Hiring teams make decisions based on a number of factors and criteria. Don’t let rejection make you feel bad about who you are as a person or a professional. If you found yourself getting along well with the interviewers but didn’t land the job, they probably did like you as a person, but you may have been missing a skill or experience they were looking for.
Think About The Negatives
It’s always important to focus on the positives when bad things happen, but if you’re having trouble getting over a job rejection, it’s a great idea to focus on the negative. Go back over the job posting and your interview and think about the requirements that might have been stressful or the elements of the culture that didn’t seem quite aligned with your personality and preferences. Was the hiring process stressful? Was the hiring manager disorganized or unresponsive? Did you get called back for unexpected follow-up interviews? Those are all red flags that signal the company wasn’t the right fit.
Be Graceful
No matter how much a rejection stings, don’t let it show in your actions or your communications with the hiring manager. Be gracious, even if you only received a snail mail form letter. Take the high road by sending the interviewers one last thank you note and wish them well in their future endeavors. This will help you stand out as a class act and you never know – they may be so impressed with your professionalism that they recommend you to another department or colleague at another company.
Don’t Abandon Your Search
It’s ok to throw yourself a personal pity party after a job rejection, but don’t give yourself more than a day. Then, press forward with your search. The right job is out there, but you won’t be able to find it if you let one rejection stop you in your tracks.
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If you are an engineer seeking new opportunities to grow your career and you’re ready to work with a professional recruiter, contact the engineering recruiting experts at Selectek today. We can help shorten your search time and increase the chances that you’ll find your ideal opportunity.
