Business CoachingconsultantProcess ImprovementJob Rejection Doesn’t Have to Stink

Job Rejection Doesn’t Have to Stink

 

When you submit an application for a job at your ideal company, you’re hoping—maybe even praying—that you’ll get a job offer after the interview. It is, after all, the business you have always wished to work for. Therefore, it may feel devastating when you don’t receive an offer, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some reasons why people are rejected and how you might use that experience to your advantage in future interviews.

Why rejection happens

You start looking into the reason as soon as you get the phone call or email of rejection. However, it could be difficult to find the solution, particularly if the person on the other end of the line doesn’t provide you with a lot of details. There are a few reasons you could not have received an offer:

There was a “better” candidate

Although it might seem clear, “better” doesn’t necessarily mean “better than you.” It simply implies different in some cases. Hiring managers may become aware that they could use skills or experience after a position is listed and candidates are interviewed. If the hiring manager is looking for a product manager who has worked on a novel product or who is insatiably interested about the world around them, for example, your skills and abilities may be directly in line with what they need. Another candidate may be “better” if they exhibit such intangibles throughout the interview process because they can contribute and add value in new ways.

You didn’t tie your skills and experience to the role.

 

Even if you could have all the required skills and experience, the hiring manager needs to know how you’ll use them in this particular job. Instead of concentrating on the real job description, too many people worry about making sure they talk about their accomplishments. To help the hiring manager see how you can contribute to the team and business, you must clearly comprehend the role and explain how you would apply your talents and abilities to it.

You don’t fit in with the culture.

This does not imply that you are a deviant. Every business has a distinctive culture. For instance, you can soon lose patience if this organization only makes choices by agreement, when your success has come from taking unilateral action. A hiring manager aims to avoid selecting candidates who won’t fit in with the group or organization’s culture. Although you might think you can change to fit the surroundings, the hiring manager will make a prediction about your success based on how you describe your working style and preferences. If they don’t think you’d fit in with the team or overall corporate culture, there’s little you can do.

 

The job’s requirements altered.

Changes at the company after a position is offered, such as a team member leaving or a restructuring of duties, may alter the job’s requirements. Despite the fact that a corporation ought to update and repost the position appropriately, not all of them do.

The job was paused or cancelled.

In times of economic uncertainty, recruiting for new positions may be delayed or even canceled as businesses develop their short- and long-term strategies. The position might still be open, but the employer might not be conducting interviews for it or might halt the process after you’ve already gone through it. Some businesses have been withdrawing offers after they were made, thereby terminating employees before they even begin. It’s the business resetting itself; it’s not personal or a reflection of your ability.

Learning from rejection

When you’re rejected, it hurts, and since you don’t know why, you might start talking negatively to yourself about your abilities and skills. Here are some suggestions for overcoming the rejection and moving on:

Recognize that perfect job isn’t always possible.

Based on what we read or hear about a profession or company, it’s common to romanticize it. Additionally, a portion of an interviewer’s job is to sell you on the job from the moment they meet you, making it look great and exciting.

If you weren’t chosen for whatever reason, utilize the rejection to reframe your idealized perspective and to serve as a gentle reminder that no organization or position is ever exactly as described. Next time, spend some time in advance considering more insightful questions than, “Tell me about the culture.” to gain a more accurate picture of a potential employment. Ask the hiring manager, for instance, “Can you give me an example of how you developed an employee?” or “Is there one common thread to being a fantastic performer on your team?” during your next interview. This will enable you to judge whether a company will carefully consider your professional development as well as how it evaluates and values its personnel.

Reflect on your values.

We tend to lose sight of what is important to us and whether the position will increase our overall fulfillment when we are in a desperate search for a job, any job. Consider the position you didn’t receive and whether it actually matched your ideals after taking a step back. By doing this practice, you can make sure that the job you eventually land will be satisfying.

 

Consider feedback.

If you can get the interviewer’s feedback, you’ll have some useful information to use in your subsequent interviews. This is a third party’s perspective on how they saw you throughout their brief interaction with you. Consider the 2% rule even if you disagree with the input or it doesn’t fit who you are: Imagine 2% of it were accurate. Utilize the criticism as motivation to improve your interviewing techniques or skills.

Become resilient.

You’ll become more resilient as you learn to bounce back from disappointment the more times you’re rejected. Determine what kind of self-care you’ll need to heal after learning that you didn’t receive the job, such as engaging in a terrific activity you enjoy, like bowling, sketching, or exercise. You’ll have a formula you may use to follow in the event of any failure once you understand how you feel at that precise moment and what it takes to move forward.

Final Thoughts

Negative energy can be detected by hiring managers during the interview process. Reframing rejection as a learning experience will help you see it as a step toward the career that’s perfect for you. The easier it will be for you to perceive the following round of interviews as the next obstacle to overcome, the faster you will discover what propels you forward.