Coping With Rejection After A Job Interview

From a recruiters view the hardest part of the interview process is contacting applicants to tell them they have been unsuccessful in their quest for a job. Similarly it can be a distressing time to realize that you were not the best applicant for a job and that someone was chosen over you, particularly if you had your heart set on that particular job. Unfortunately for every one person hired there will be many more passed over for the job so at least you can be assured that it is nothing personal, just that the company found someone who is a closer match for their needs than you, and the many more who applied.

Requesting feedback is a way to enhance your employment chances at your next interview so try to find out whether your rejection was due to a lack of experience, through poor interviewing skills or for any other factor. Take constructive criticism professionally and use the criticism as a way to improve your candidacy for other job opportunities. It is important not to get too despondent and to refocus on the task in hand, that being, getting a new job.

If the job interview was for a promotion in your current company be careful not to harbor a grudge against the interviewer, aside from sowing a lack of professionalism it may impact your future chance should other jobs become available with the company that you might tempt you to apply.

You can console yourself with the fact that you at least got interviewed for the position, meaning there was sufficient skills and experience on your resume to warrant being interviewed, you can bet hundreds more will have applied and not quirked enough interest to be brought forward to interview stage.

If you had an interview with another company you should still send a thank-you letter despite being unsuccessful. Maintaining a good relationship is vital as other jobs could arise that may be more suited to your strengths and you don’t want to burn any bridges thus harming your chances of getting future roles with them.

There are many factors that come into play when hiring someone, these include (but are not limited to);

Salary

Education

Experience

Availability

Future career-path

Interview skills

Finding the person who ticks the right boxes in each and every one of those categories is not easy so take solace in the fact that there will be many more people getting rejection calls and rejection letters than just you and stay focused with a positive attitude to your next interview.