Dealing with rejection after a job interview

Cliché warning, rejection is a part of life. We’ve all received a rejection letter, email or phone call. It can be really upsetting and cause you to feel disheartened. However - dealing with rejection correctly is important. Allowing rejection to put you in a bad mental space can affect your resilience and put you off applying for more roles.

Here are a few things to remember:

1. Outside factors:

Getting rejected does not necessarily mean you did something wrong. You could have been a top candidate but got rejected because of other causes not clear to you. For example, another candidate and you are equally strong, but the other candidate has more experience, could lead to them being chosen over you. Try not to take the rejection to heart and use it to fuel future applications instead.

2. Detailed feedback:

The best thing to try and get after a rejection is feedback. It allows you to understand and learn from it. Whilst you can self-analyse, genuine feedback from recruiters can give you some pointers into what to improve at or work on. The more detailed, the better.

3. Refine your search:

Sometimes rejections point us in the right direction. We can get swept away by sending applications and even lose track of what positions we applied for. Taking a step back after a rejection and reflecting on whether the role was what you actually wanted can help clear your mind. Take some time after a rejection to re-evaluate what you want out of a role.

4. Build resilience:

It’s easier to feel upset and disheartened after a rejection but overcoming the obstacles will most likely be what helps you land the right role. It’s a rapidly changing world and resilience is important for long-term success. Use the ‘no’s’ and learn from them. Allow yourself to have self-compassion so you can bounce back and keep going.

Rejections are hard to deal with. These tips are a few of many. If you want a CV or portfolio reviewed, or want to talk to someone about your career, get in contact with our team or check out our upcoming events.