This afternoon I received a job rejection email for a place I interviewed with last week. I was disappointed to hear they had decided to move forward with another job candidate. Although I’ve been enjoying work as a freelancer, I am still looking for a permanent job and this one was right in line with the type of career I want (content writing). So, it took me a while to really recover after getting this rejection.
After getting a job rejection, it can be incredibly hard to move forward, especially if you really wanted the job. It is especially hard if you have been looking for a while too. So, to help lick my own wounds, I thought I’d put together a few tips that will help you recover after a job rejection.
Be glad you made it as far as you did.
With as many resumes being sent out to job ads right now, it’s pretty amazing to get noticed at all these days. So, focusing on the positive, it’s nice to know that I did make it this far. I encourage you to take the same approach. If you got rejected after interviewing, you can be rest assured in knowing your resume is working in the right direction. Maybe this wasn’t a good fit for you after all.
Consider whether or not this was the right fit for you anyways.
Not every company has great hiring practices. Not every company has great values or great ethics either. I’ve had my share of interviews with companies that I never hear from again. I’ve also had my share of interviews with companies that gave me a sketchy vibe too. Those are not the types of companies I want to join.
No matter how you feel, thank the prospective employer.
Even if you are licking your wounds, send them a thank you email in reply to their rejection. Thank them for their time.
If you are certain that you wanted to work for this company (or that person), ask them to keep you in mind for future opportunities. Just because they’ve rejected you, it doesn’t mean opportunities won’t arise in the future. In fact, ending on a positive note may just land you a job later down the road.
Take time to do self-reflecting.
If you’ve received a great deal of rejections, it may be time to do some self-assessment. Maybe you aren’t getting responses from your resume. Maybe you never get beyond the first interview. Wherever you are at, consider reaching out to a career coach or someone who can help you figure out what may be going wrong.
I want to recommend a newsletter for you. Whether you are a writer or otherwise, I subscribe to Opps of the Week by Sonia Weiser. She lists freelance writing opportunities and calls for submissions from magazines, but lately, she’s been including resources for people who are job searching, or needs resume help or need help with their writing portfolio, as well as many other offers for help. It does cost $3 a month to subscribe (I subscribe and yes, it’s worth it!). However, if that cost is too much for you, you can write Sonia and let her know. She has a free option offered to those who can’t afford the costs.
Follow up the job rejection with something positive.
After your rejection email, you probably don’t feel too great. Make sure you follow up that email with something positive. Call up a friend or family member. Do something productive that will leave you feeling good about yourself. Listen to music. Read a good book. Pray. Talk to God. Read scripture.
Also, don’t give up. Keep pushing forward. Whether you’ve been out of work for one month or several years, there is a job out there for you. Like K.T. Redwine said in one of her of my guest posts on my blog, “Your skills are someone’s blessing.”
What do you do to recover after a job rejection?
These are FABULOUS tips! I went through a year in 2007-2008 of constant rejections and it was so disheartening. I wish I’d had this article THEN
Oh thank you so much! It can be so hard to recover after a rejection. So I hope this helps someone!
Thank you for sharing! I have received a LOT of rejections, not because I’m not a good or qualified candidate, but simply because the market is SO saturated with other people who are also highly qualified. It is tough! I can personally vouch for #3 because that’s how I came to work at my current employer. I interviewed with them early last year and they hired an internal candidate, BUT earlier this year they approached me with a much better position. Turns out they had been looking for a way to get me into their company for almost a year! One thing I will say about rejection is that it’s always important to follow up & it’s even better to have a question about how you could improve.
What a great thing!! I love knowing that there is a chance even after the rejection.
This totally resonates, even to a freelancer, when we get those “no thanks” responses to pitches.. GREAT things to keep in mind!
Absolutely! I can relate to that.
I can totally relate since I am unemployed since November! Wow this long! Never happened before in my lofe and of course because of the COVID, everything is on hold. I was about to be hired and in March they told me they couldn’t because of the pandemic. Now the position is not even open anymore. So some days it is harder than others, but I am being positive as like you said, maybe it’s not meant to be or the right fit, and yes you do have to thank them, because somewhere along the way, maybe the candidate they chose will not be a good fit after all and they might end up calling you back.
I can tell you a lot about this, I took some free classes and coaching and LinkedIn challenges.
Have a great day and keep being hopeful like I am.
Marie
I like your perspective too! You never know when it’s going to turn into a possible job opportunity.
I have been here many times and one thing I always say, is maybe, that’ not where you needed to be at this time. Opportunity that comes around sometimes doesn’t connect and that’s ok. We have to be ok with it! Thanks for the reminders