Rejection is, unfortunately, a part of any career search and one that most if not all of us will experience at least once in our lifetime. It can come in many forms, from rejection after an application or interview to losing a job or being made redundant. Rejection can be difficult to deal with and leave your confidence feeling knocked, so what next? This article aims to address the way you are feeling and help convert those feelings into actions that will help you move on from your rejection and continue in a positive way.
- Aim to understand why you were rejected but don’t over-analyse.
Whether you were rejected from an application or let go at work, it is important to always seek feedback where possible to find out where you went wrong and how you can improve in the future. However, dwelling on what you might have done differently can actually be harmful to your mental health and confidence, so it is important that once you have established what went wrong you accept it and move on. Try to learn from your mistakes but remember that everyone makes them and we can’t be perfect all the time.
- Try to think of the positives.
Maybe you didn’t really like or want that job anyway. Perhaps it wasn’t for you and this is an opportunity to go in a different direction and choose a new career path. You now have the opportunity to open some new doors for yourself that you had perhaps closed yourself off to previously due to this job. Explore your new options and try to think of all the other opportunities you now have to find work elsewhere.
- Don’t blame yourself.
There are two sides to every story. If you weren’t accepted for the job you interviewed for, it doesn’t have to be because you weren’t good enough for the job. The employers may have already had a candidate in mind, or perhaps someone far too overqualified for the position applied and therefore candidates like yourself couldn’t have done anything more. If you lost a job, remind yourself that there may be other reasons behind your contract ending besides your own performance at work. Most importantly, try not to beat yourself up over your rejection and remember that you tried your best.
- Find new things that excite you.
You might like to get into a new hobby or study something new that you hadn’t had time for or considered before. Fill up your time with new things that excite or interest you to help improve your mood so that you aren’t sat at home feeling upset about your rejection. Filling up your day is the best way to move on from any rejection and will help you pass the time while your confidence and ego heal.
- Get back out there.
There is no better way to get over being rejected from a job than to go out there and remind yourself why you are a promising and viable candidate for any company. The sooner you get back to applying for jobs, the sooner you will feel better about your chances to find a new job and forget about the old one. Get yourself excited about new applications and positions that you hadn’t had the opportunity to apply for previously.
- Remember that rejection happens to the best of us.
It is important after being rejected to remember that even the most prolific, intelligent and employable people get rejected sometimes. There are plenty of examples of famous people who were rejected before they were successful – J.K Rowling, for example, had her Harry Potter series rejected several times before she was successful in being published. You are not on your own in this and rejection is not necessarily a reflection of your abilities or talent as an individual. The best thing you can do now is to learn from your rejection and keep pushing forward so that one day you will find your success.
Hopefully this article has helped you in some way to feel more encouraged and able to continue working towards your goals. The key things to remember are that you are an employable, hard-working individual and that your efforts will one day pay off. Why not use this opportunity to get back on the horse and have a look at some of the vacancies we have on offer? As always, good luck!
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