How to turn a job rejection into a positive

It is always difficult not to take job rejection personally, but everyone must face the fact that at some stage of their career, in the process of looking for a new job, you will be turned down for a role. 

Whilst it may feel like the end of the world, how you deal with job rejection is important because the learning that you can take from it will help you remain at your best and help with job hunting in the future. 

Here are our tips on how to turn the negative of job rejection into a positive to help you deal with it.   

Don’t take it personally 

It may be easy for us to say because at the time it does feel personal, but trust us on this one, it is just that the employer or hiring team made an objective decision based on finding the candidate most suitable for the role and not because they didn’t like you personally. It is just more likely that there were other candidates who had stronger profiles or more experience and therefore resonated more strongly for the role. 

Ask for Feedback and Make the Best of it 

If you do find that you are unsuccessful, you are allowed to ask for feedback. Not everyone will provide it, but if you can get feedback, then use it to your advantage. Feedback can give you answers as to why you didn’t get the job this time round. It may be that there were gaps in your skills, in which case, look for a course to help close them, or it may be your interview answers were not in-depth, and in this instance, you can practise the way that you prepare and answer interview questions. Any feedback that you get will be a great help when you apply for your next roles. 

Practice Self Awareness 

Whether you receive feedback or not, why not take an objective look at your overall performance for this job application? 

Begin with your CV and cover letter – could they have been better tailored for the role so that you stood out amongst other candidates? Did you prepare for answering the interview questions with knowledge and depth, highlighting your experience and demonstrating why you would be perfect for the role? Try to consider where you have room for improvement in the future. 

Stay Positive and Focussed 

Clear the rejection out of your head. Take some time out with friends or family and put work and job applications to the back of your mind. Having a positive mental attitude is an important part of dealing with job rejection. If you are resilient and can bounce back, eventually, you will bounce into the right role. Reward the fact that you even applied for the role, and if you got through a number of stages, then reward yourself so making it so far – your race isn’t over yet! 

Keep Going 

With each rejection, you come one step closer to finding the right job for you. 

It may be tempting to put your job hunting on hold whilst you are dealing with rejection, but it is best to keep going. Even if you haven’t had any feedback yet, keep sending those job applications and moving through the process until you have an offer in your hand. 

It’s easy to take time out, but perseverance will yield better rewards. 

Say positive, stay focused and go get that job!