Addressing job rejection

Any rejection is difficult to digest and when it happens to pertain to a job, it becomes all the more difficult. This is largely due to perceived agony related to your pecuniary circumstances and prospects. If you happen to not make it for a job that is seen as satisfying on all fronts, the worry will largely be your apprehension of not being able to get a similar one again. The feelings of rejection are more accentuated if during probation, you are unable to satisfy clients or you make your displeasure known at any unsavoury comments by others.

The way you handle job rejection depends on many factors. But the essential point to remember is that you should not take it as a personal ignominy. Your rejection does not manifest your incapability; it just that someone more capable or qualified has got it. Your rejection thus should be seen as an indication that perhaps you could fit better in some another appointment and that more successful roles are in store for you.

Besides taking into account the above, it is also imperative to view it from the correct angle. All prospective recruiters and employers deliberate on various aspects before taking a final decision on whom to select and whom to reject. Ninety nine percent of all such considerations are not within your power of influence and management. Your selection or rejection is not totally contingent on the curriculum vitae that you submitted or the colour of your suit that you wear for the interview, though they also have their own limited weight. If you realize this, you will be better geared to cope with any possible job reaction.

If you are faced with the predicament of job reaction, you should not dwell too much on what went before. It is considered pertinent to state that doing so is indeed a difficult proposition. Every human being has a propensity to recollect previous failures whenever they fail again; in fact this becomes more of a routine. You should try to shed this habit as you may end up feeling more crestfallen than before. What you should do is to remember every single attainment and all the upbeat developments in your life. You will thus feel self-assured and the hope of getting the next job will increase manifold.

You must also introspect and raise queries with yourself. This in no way implies that you have to subject yourself to a self-interrogation procedure to gear up for a job interview. In fact, any of your close friends could do this. In order to become a really formidable contestant for the next job interview, you need to recall the sequence of events at your last interview and ask yourself the following questions:

·   What are the issues that you could have handled in a different way?

·   How could you have acted in a special way?

·   What experience have you gained?

·   How do you stand to gain?

If it is possible, you could even seek a view from the employer concerned. While most may not oblige, some will. You will thus get to know some specific qualitative requirements that may have skipped your attention. This may not be truly applicable if someone more qualified than you got the job. But definitely if you faltered on any aspect – whether you did something incorrectly or failed to do something - the same would come to your knowledge for further improvement.

Today, there are career counselors and trainers available to guide you; they train and prepare you for getting a job. Taking assistance from them is also a good choice. In doing so, you do not seek to know the best job in the market that you ought to apply for. On the contrary, your aim should be to boost your self-assurance and self-belief in settings and situations that are helpful and accommodating. Your trainer would recommend to you on the most appropriate line of action that will help you attain your objectives and also offer you good tips to fare well in an interview.    

            You should understand that rejection is a usual and accepted component of any job hunt. Some people do get a job on their maiden application, but most do not. Therefore, job rejection should not be allowed to impinge on you adversely. You should acknowledge the fact that there is nothing extraordinarily unusual in rejection and hence focus on refining your resume, improving your performance at job interviews and keep the process of applying for jobs alive.