We all face rejection at some stage in our personal and professional lives. The average person will likely receive hundreds of rejections in some manner, in their lifetime. This is compounded by the fact that we are living in times of global crisis, with factors such as the increased cost of living and personal finances, heightened stress levels in and outside of work, geo-political uncertainty, and mass layoffs resulting in anxiety and despondency.
If you are one of the many thousands who have been impacted and have been desperately seeking employment for several months, only to receive a rejection email almost every time, here are a few things you can do to alleviate the impact on your mental health and turn this into a golden opportunity to secure your next job offer:
Change perspective
There are many reasons why you might have been turned down from a position. The good news is, most of those reasons may have absolutely nothing to do with you! Ever found yourself scratching your head wondering why you successfully went through every round of interviews up to the very last stage, yet when it came time to choose between you and another highly qualified candidate, they always picked the other?
Instead of constantly throwing the blame on yourself (a habit that can negatively impact your self-esteem and mental health) consider that there are other factors involved beyond the scope of your control.
Some reasons you may have been rejected include considerations such as the role no longer being available, budget cuts, plans to reduce the team size in the future, someone internally was promoted, the requirements of the role/project may have changed, or perhaps you have all the skills but not the years of experience that the next candidate has.
You need to become comfortable with rejection and accept that it is a common part of the job search experience. Successful applicants in one study had a ratio of applying for 10 to 15 jobs and have received 6 to 10 rejections on average. Embrace rejection as part of the journey and understand that you are not always to blame.
Seek feedback
While you accept that rejection is a normal, albeit painful, part of the job search process, and that it is not all your fault, another important aspect is to recognize that it is necessary to your professional journey, and objectively, you might have something to do with why you were refused an offer.
It’s vital that you politely solicit feedback after receiving a rejection call or email, so that you can understand your weak points and improve those key areas that have been identified in your application or interview. Be careful with how you word your email; you don’t want to appear as irate, petty, or sarcastic.
Be sure to thank the employer for their time thus far, and ask them if they could elaborate if possible, on specific areas they noted that were your weaknesses in the application or interview process. Reiterate your continued support and enthusiasm for their company—remember that even here, you are re-enforcing your personal brand, therefore you do not want to unnecessarily burn bridges.
Self-evaluate
Often, employers may not be able to provide you with the detailed feedback you desire, depending on the number of candidate responses they are evaluating, or the stage you have reached in the shortlisting process. In this case, it can be frustrating when you don’t know what could have possibly gone wrong.
This is where self-awareness comes in.
Take time to chart everything you do relating to your job applications, so that if you receive a do-not-reply generic rejection, you can critically evaluate your course of action, learn from possible mistakes, seek professional guidance, and re-align your job search strategy and goals.
Broadly speaking, there are only three main phases to a job search: the application/resume stage, interview stage, and hiring stage. The stage at which you receive the most rejections will determine what areas you need to focus on the most.
Say for example, you never seem to make it to the interview stage. That should indicate to you that your concentrated efforts need to be aligned with revisiting and revamping your resume, polishing your application answers, or fine-tuning your cover letter. It could also be the case that you need someone internally to vouch for you, so perhaps you need to focus on improving your networking skills.
Take a break
Ultimately, the job search process is laborious and mentally draining, especially when you’re not witnessing positive results immediately. Instead of falling into the trap of panic-applying immediately after a rejection, take time to breathe and step away from the job-hunt until you are in a better frame of mind and can bring more positive energy to your endeavors.
Self-care
Build emotional resilience and prioritize your mental health during this difficult time, through incorporating stress management and relaxation routines into your day. Connect to a support group of other professionals on the career development and job search journey. You can also buddy up and seek coaching or mentorship from others who can elevate you in your career and provide you with a positive outlook. Finally, embrace a spirit of gratitude and take time to appreciate the small things in your life and career; even the fact that you could have narrowly escaped a toxic work environment had you landed an offer, is reason for celebration.
Rejection emails can be disheartening for sure, but they don’t need to be soul-destroying. Through adjusting your perspective, soliciting feedback, practicing self-awareness and self-care, and evenly pacing your job-hunting time, you will align your skills and mindset for your next big opportunity—the job offer that is right around the corner waiting for you.
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