Ways to Deal with Rejection After a job Interview

Ways to Deal with Rejection After a job Interview

It’s important to not feel discouraged after a rejection, as this can negatively influence the confidence you need to ace your next interviews. If you’ve made it all the way to the interview stage of a job application, it means recruiters clearly saw something they liked about you. Here are some ways to deal with rejection after a job interview:

• Be polite 
• Don’t take it personally
• Acknowledge your feelings
• Ask for feedback
• Focus on your strengths
• Plan your next steps

Be Polite 

When you receive that dreaded call from the recruiter saying you were unsuccessful, it can be tempting to give them a piece of your mind. But it’s important to remain polite and thank them for their consideration. You never know what can happen in the future. There might be another job available at their company that is more suited to your skills. So be careful not to burn any bridges. 

Don’t Take it Personally

A rejection after a job interview is not a measure of your personal or professional worth. Each company has very specific requirements, and you won’t be the perfect match every time. Some factors are beyond your control. This does not mean you’ll never find the right job or that you aren’t skilled and talented.

Acknowledge Your Feelings

It’s okay to feel disappointed, frustrated, angry or sad about not getting the job. With the high unemployment rate in South Africa, it’s easy to feel discouraged. But it’s important to not spend too much time being sad. So speak to someone you trust about the situation and they might say the right thing to cheer you up and get you back on track.  

Ask for Feedback

You could send an email requesting feedback as to why you were rejected. However, take note of your tone. Don’t make it sound like you want to change their minds. Rather mention that you want to improve your job search and interview skills. Keep in mind the do’s and don’ts of professional emails. It’s important to note that you might not always get a response from the company, but it never hurts to ask. 

Focus on Your Strengths

Spending too much time thinking about the negatives will only make you feel worse. Think about what makes you better than other candidates. This includes both your hard and soft skills. Know that when it comes to job interviews, it’s okay to brag about yourself a bit. Use this new confidence to write a brand new cover letter for your next job application. 

Plan Your Next Steps

It’s now time to look forward to your future. Each job interview is a chance to start over. So why not consider ways to perfect your skills? In the meantime, you could do a short course, volunteer or spend time networking to find your next opportunity. Planning will also take your mind off the frustration of not getting that job.