First of all, let’s be clear. Rejection when trying to find a job is a universal experience. Jumping into your job search with that knowledge can seem disheartening, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this blog, we won’t tell you to ignore rejection. We don’t think that’s a healthy strategy. Instead, we hope to offer you strategies that can help you better manage rejection and use it to your advantage. At the end of the day, the most important part of handling rejection is ensuring that it doesn’t put a block in your future applications.
Who receives rejections?
As we explained above, rejections are practically guaranteed at some point or another. They can therefore be very difficult to anticipate, making it challenging to know how to overcome them. Anyone can face rejection. If you’re currently looking to find your first job, it’s likely that the first few applications will result in rejections. It can definitely be challenging to get your foot in the door, but there are steps you can take to use your experience earned out of the workforce to show prospective employers that you can do the job. If that’s you, consider taking a look at our blog ‘How to get a job with no experience’.
But rejections aren’t just reserved for early career applications. Even applicants with decades of experience and interview practice still face rejection. And that doesn’t make it any harder to deal with! A person with experience may be seeking to take a risk in their job search. Maybe they are hoping to gain a significant promotion or even change career. This can place them out of their comfort zone and make the experience of finding a job more of a challenge. In these situations, you might experience rejection as you learn how best to demonstrate your aptitude. So, it’s important to ensure that rejection is a learning experience to help you grow and gain that job you’re dreaming of.
Why does it happen?
When receiving a rejection, it’s important to not go straight to the belief that you are simply not ‘good enough’ for the job. Ruminating on these thoughts can lead to imposter syndrome. Here are a few external reasons why you might receive a rejection:
- Timing: Sometimes, it’s completely out of your control. Maybe the company really liked your application, but they just don’t have a suitable opening at the moment. This can be especially common if you are sending out speculative applications.
- Subjectivity: Common in the creative sector, sometimes your experience or portfolio just doesn’t align well with the business’ look and feel. It doesn’t mean your work isn’t good enough, it just means it doesn’t fit their own or their clients’ style.
- Misunderstanding: It’s possible that the job description wasn’t well written, and doesn’t offer a true representation of the candidate the company is looking for. Maybe your application was a great match for that role, but just not the actual role. As a candidate, this is out of your hands!
How to manage rejection (practically)
Rejection can come at any point of the application process and the actions you should take to manage them will differ depending on when and how you receive the rejection. If you apply and never hear back, you can consider this a form of rejection. This is commonly known as ‘ghosting’. As you haven’t interacted with anyone within the company, you might not receive any personalised feedback. This can be upsetting, especially if you put a lot of work into your application. We recommend keeping a tracker, either simply on a Google Sheet or on Notion for example, where you input the date of application so you can keep track of their progress. Include the job role and a copy of the job description. This can help you keep on track of your applications so you know if it’s a good idea to reach out and ask for an update on your application.
When receiving rejections during your job search, it’s important to remain on the lookout for new vacancies. It can be really difficult to continue applying especially after receiving numerous rejections, but it’s important to acknowledge that widening the amount of jobs you apply to increases your chances of success. Don’t be afraid of asking for feedback, especially if you receive your rejection after making it to the interview stage. Not everyone will offer it, but if it’s available, take it! You can use this feedback to develop your CV and improve your interview skills. That being said, we do recommend speaking to a recruiter or career adviser (if you can), or a friend. While feedback can be helpful, it is important to remember that it is just one person’s opinion. You want to make sure that any changes you take on board will benefit you, so having another person take a look at it is an excellent idea.
How to manage rejection (emotionally)
It’s all well and good being practical about things, but we need to be honest about the fact that rejections can severely impact the wellbeing of job applicants. There is no knowing how many applications you will need to make before receiving an offer. It can be a real
challenge managing your emotions during this time, because you don’t know how long it will take for you to move into your new job. This is especially difficult if you aren’t currently employed or dissatisfied in your role.
To manage the job search, be sure to get as much help that is available to you. For some, this may mean contacting a career adviser. Not only you can get help with your application, they can send out jobs that might be a match for you, allowing you to have a little extra breathing time. Depending on your circumstances, you might want to tell your friends and family about the search. This is a personal choice and you should only do this if you feel comfortable doing so. But it can be helpful to know you’ll have someone to read over your applications or practice your interviews with. Maybe you need childcare, so letting people know can help in that area too. Ultimately, it’s important to set aside time to focus on other tasks while you’re facing rejections. Make sure you still make time for hobbies, whatever that means to you. It can also be helpful to read about others experience looking for jobs specific to your sector. That way, you can feel less alone dealing with rejection.
Special considerations
Rejections are often linked to finding a new job, but they can take place under different circumstances. Perhaps you applied for an internal promotion, or were really keen to be made a lead team member on a new project your business was just awarded. Just because you’re already in a role doesn’t make these rejections any less difficult to manage. In fact, you might find it challenging because you feel so personally attached to the rejection. In these scenarios, we really recommend speaking to the managers about their decision. It’s important you know for your own personal development, and it can help them make sure they plan in the training or mentorship you require to thrive in the business.
Moving forward
As a final recap on managing rejections, you should take the following away with you:
- A rejection doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you.
- Sometimes, a rejection is completely out of your control.
- Take feedback if it’s available, and think about what it means to implement it.
- If you’re anxious about hearing back from applications, consider speaking to a friend or family member. Set aside dedicated time for your hobbies, and consider only checking your emails at specific times of the day.
Best of luck!
This article was written by Lucy Hulton.
Last updated on 27 November 2024
Share this article