No one likes being rejected right? Especially when it comes to job opportunities. It can often affect your self-confidence and can be viewed as a sign of failure. However, it is also a golden opportunity to assess your core strengths and weaknesses and ultimately become a better version of yourself! Read on to discover the three phases to handling job rejections.
Phase 1 – Deal With The Rejection head on
The first step is to slow right down, process the rejection and deal with any negative feelings like anger, frustration or anxiety. Share your feelings with your support system and vent to friends, parents or anybody you trust. Breathe, go for a long walk or have a long warm bath. Take some time to chill out with yourself. Never take it personally. Give yourself some time to recover and then jump straight back into phase 2.
Phase 2 – Think About What You Could Do Differently
If you do experience a rejection either at application or interview stage, ask for feedback. Self reflect and look at what can be improved. This can be improving your resume, cover letter, or think about what transpired during the interview – did you ask the right questions, did your body language show interest? Once you understand where you went wrong, you can work on resolving the mistakes. It’s important to note here to not be too hard on yourself. It’s competitive out there so position yourself to maximise your chances of success and simply trust that the right opportunity will come along for you.
Phase 3 – Keep Hunting!
Once you feel ready, and you have regained some confidence, it is time to dive back in. It is important to maintain a proactive approach to keep self confidence levels up and to stay connected. Work out what your dream job would be and use that criteria in your job search. Reach out to specialist recruiters in the market, and let them do all the hard work for you. Stay positive, remain proactive and most of all trust in the process. Your time will come.
