DEALING WITH REJECTION
As I recall the old saying used to be “there are two certainties in life; death and taxes”. Whilst this still holds credence, it could be argued that in the modern corporate world there is another certainty – rejection! Whether that be in the form of being impacted by organisational restructures or being eliminated from a competitive selection process for a role you want; it is fair to say that dealing with rejection forms part of the modern recruitment landscape.
Naturally, dealing with rejection can be a challenging and emotional journey. As we prepare both management and executive level candidates for the market place, one of the first things we remind them is that there are two qualities that they will need in abundance: perseverance & resilience. The reality is that no matter your level and quality of experience, you will at some point face competition from others that will result in rejection.
Ok, so we’ve established that some form of rejection is more or less certain. The next question is how to deal with it? I think there are a few factors that are worth remembering when that news comes your way.
First and foremost, don’t take it personally. It’s easy to take a rejection personally by blaming your personality or interview technique for your failure to land the job. Try not to read too much into your rejection as these decisions are rarely based solely on your performance. If you’ve prepared fully and tried your best, there’s little else you could have done to influence the outcome especially in a competitive marketplace with a high supply of quality candidates.
Most of the reasons behind hiring decisions will not be made apparent to you. You may have performed excellently but there could be other factors at play. For example, there may have been a very strong internal candidate who is already familiar with the business, or another candidate with slightly more relevant experience than you. These are things you cannot change; they’re beyond your control.
Equally, do reflect and seek feedback on your own performance in the interview and consider where there may be improvements to make, especially if you’ve not been in the market (and interviewing) recently.
Secondly, take mental, emotional and physical steps to avoid prolonging that post-rejection slump. Allow yourself a day to wallow and lament, then get straight back to business. Use the job rejection as a springboard for future job applications.
Don’t let your disappointment or ego get in the way of making sure you get real, practical constructive feedback to help you find out where things went wrong, so that you can improve them for the next time around. This is a key element of dealing with rejection, and if you implement the feedback you receive, you can improve your personal brand and increase your success rate in the future.
Remember to stay positive. Sustaining a positive mental attitude is an important part of dealing with job rejection. Maintain a strong outlook by treating yourself to rewarding behaviours. Remember there are other and arguably more important things in life such as family, friends and personal interests / pursuits.
I think the key thing is to keep things in perspective. Whilst it is important to give your career and therefore potential reflection journey appropriate attention, it’s worth putting it into context against other life goals.
If you would like to discuss further please give us a call at The Acquire Group. Whilst we can’t provide immunity from rejection, we can certainly assist in the processing!
