News You Can Use | Didn’t Get the Job?
Didn’t Get the Job?
How to Bounce Back in Your Job Search (As Published in Face Magazine)
What to do to make sure you land your dream job the next time…
As a job seeker, you will interview for jobs that do not ultimately result in a job offer. It is easy to become discouraged, especially after you have invested so much time in preparing for the interview. With the right attitude and approach to the situation, it will help you find the positive in what seems like a step backwards. Using these tips and tricks will keep you from getting discouraged and guide you from an interview rejection to a job offer.
Prepare Yourself: Before entering into an interview, prepare yourself for all the possible outcomes… either a job offer or rejection. This does not mean that you should enter the interview with a negative attitude. Rather, be confident that you landed the interview as many applicants do not even make it that far. View the entire experience as a chance to grow professionally and expand your network.
Separate Your Emotions: It is easy to take a job rejection personally and feel as if you are not likable or there is something else wrong with you. The truth is, hiring managers can only give the job to one person. Therefore, they are constantly turning down applicants they like or who may be great for the job. When you first start the job search, make sure to never base your self-worth on the process. Business decisions are made completely separate of personal interests or feelings.
Maintain a Professional Attitude: Despite the results of your interview, make sure to always keep your emotions in check. No matter how disappointed or angry you may feel, never take it out on the hiring manager or organization. Professionals within the same industry, even cross-industry, are always networking with each other. Therefore, taking out negative feelings will not only reduce their opinion of you but can also affect the remainder of your job search. In addition, many times, the individual offered the job turns it down, and you just might be the next person on the list.
Assess Your Own Performance: No matter how perfectly your skills fit a job opening, not communicating and demonstrating your full potential on an interview or through your resume can prevent you from being offered the job. Therefore, always assess your own performance. Find the areas you can improve upon and develop plans to correct these areas for the next opening. You should also take note of all the insight you gained through the process. By focusing on these lessons learned, you not only better yourself professionally, but also personally. Job searching can be a challenge, but utilizing the right attitude and focusing on the experience will help you make the most of the situation and make the process easier.
When you start your next job search, or even explore ways to grow in your current career, use these tips to help you deal with any rejection you might face. Just because you were not offered a position does not mean all of your efforts were a lost cause. Each experience will give you insight into what you are looking for in your career and how you can better yourself.
