Being passed over for a promotion that you really wanted stings. Your first reaction may be to hit the job boards and start shooting your resume over to friends, hatching a plan to get out of there as soon as you can. But just because you suffered this (major) setback doesn’t mean you need to jump ship.

Nearly everyone has been overlooked for a job they deserved, and many have come back stronger and more successful. These four steps will help you get over the rejection you’re facing so you can continue kicking butt at your job:

1. Redirect Your Negative Emotions
If you don’t feel at least a bit emotional after losing out on a promotion, then you have better composure than most. But for many of us, that moment can be tough to swallow, and it’s perfectly normal to feel flustered.

Although you might be fuming, it’s important that you take a step back from the situation and give yourself the opportunity to cool off before doing anything else. You certainly wouldn’t want to lose control and torpedo the professional reputation you’ve strived so hard to build before you’ve had to the chance to gather all the facts.

A couple years ago, I was passed over for a promotion when—in my mind—I should have been a shoe-in. I was so infuriated that I just wanted to walk out and never come back, but after grabbing drinks with my friends and venting out that frustration, I realized that giving up and leaving the company wasn’t what I wanted. I came back into the office the next week with a renewed focus and intensity, eager to not let this setback distract or damage my performance.

2. Be Proactive and Seek Direct Feedback
After checking those feelings of anger and hurt at the door, it’s time to take control and transform a negative experience into a potentially positive learning opportunity. There’s no need to play detective by slyly dropping hints to co-workers to get the scoop on what happened; the professional move is to go straight to the source and ask your boss.

You’re likely to get some insight into the areas you can improve upon, as well as how leadership decisions are made at your company. Plus, you might gain some newfound respect from your manager for your professionalism and desire to grow your career with the company.

When I missed out on that promotion, I needed concrete feedback from my boss so I could stop running the scenario over-and-over again in my head—comparing myself to the other candidates without actually knowing what my company was looking for.

If you want to get the originally published post, you can find it here http://www.businessamlive.com/cope-passed-promotion/