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7 Stages Of Dealing With Job Rejection - Career - Nairaland

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7 Stages Of Dealing With Job Rejection by t6travels: 4:49pm On Nov 06, 2014
Darn it all! You applied for a job you thought was a perfect fit, you fully prepared for your interview, but then opened up your email inbox and there it is: “Thank you for your interest, but…” They decided to “go another way” with a “more qualified candidate.” Now, you feel a bit like this:



Ouch! What should you do now?

Here are seven stages you may go through after being denied a job, and how to work your way through it:



1. Anger: It is only natural that your first reaction may be anger (with a dash of confusion thrown in for good measure). When you receive that rejection notice, it is easy to take it personally: “What did I do wrong? Was it the question I asked in the interview? How was there someone more qualified than me?” Nonetheless, you should eventually get to a point where you can be honest with yourself; there were likely a variety of factors that resulted in you being passed up for the job. When you realize it is not your fault entirely, you can move onto...

2. Understanding: Use this as a learning opportunity. Ask the hiring manager to give you honest feedback about what you could have done differently, and/or why you were not chosen. Receiving this information can help you avoid similar missteps in the future, improve your interviewing skills, and prepare yourself for success down the road. In order to avoid sounding defensive, approach the question gracefully with something like, “I would love to take this as a learning experience to make myself a stronger candidate in the future. Would you be willing to share some feedback with me?” Don’t be surprised if they cannot share too many details (if at any all), but it still does not hurt to ask.



3. Thankfulness: [/b]That’s right, I am telling you to send a genuine, thoughtful thank you note to the person who rejected you. What are you thankful for? Here are some suggestions:

Their time and consideration during the entire interview process
The fact that they actually let you know the outcome, even though they didn’t end up choosing you for the position
The opportunity to learn more about their company and the role
The idea behind this is to never burn any bridges. You may not have been picked this time around, but you do not know what could happen in the future. Make sure to express your continued interest in working for the company and your long-term goals. They might just reach out the next time a position becomes available, or when they hear of an opening at another organization. Which brings us to...

[b]4. Networking:
If you left a favorable impression with the hiring manager, leave the door open online so that he or she can recommend you in the future. Connect on LinkedIn with anyone you met during the interview process. If you follow them on Twitter, there’s always the possibility of sparking a future conversation (perhaps you comment on an article they share) — and staying top-of-mind.

5. Acceptance: Once you have come to terms with not getting the job, you are free to divert your energy towards the next opportunity that comes along. If you have submitted multiple applications and gone on other interviews, you have options. Be hopeful and optimistic; your reward could be coming any day now.



6. Goal-Setting: Give yourself something to look forward to. Remain focused on the bigger picture with your long-term goals, but be sure to give yourself some short-term, daily goals that keep your mind off this minor setback. Maybe it is learning a new skill that will give you an edge over the competition during your next go-round, or maybe it is tackling a new project at your current job to add to your resume.

7. Rebounding: Alright, Plan A didn’t pan out. So what’s Plan B? As long as you didn’t put all your eggs in one job’s basket, or pin all of your hopes on one “dream job,” you should be able to bounce back. The seventh and final stage of dealing with rejection is what makes it all worth it; using what you have learned to push forward and conquer your second chance at a job you want.

Your turn to weigh in: what have you done to recover after a job rejection?

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