The Best Ways to Turn a Job Rejection into a Career Victory

Feeling frustrated during a long job search is natural. You have a great resume and you interview well, but you’re still not getting any offers. In fact, the rejections are starting to get you down. It doesn’t have to be that way. Companies need to make difficult hiring decisions, often between very qualified candidates, so you may be doing nothing wrong. Do you want to turn this feeling of powerlessness from rejection into something empowering? Here are some things to consider.

It Happens to Everyone. Every candidate has experienced rejection in the hunt for a job. Why? Think about the process from the company’s perspective. They place an ad and receive hundreds of resumes. Next, they narrow that down to a few. The company may interview only 3 to 5 people out of that pool of candidates, but they can only make one job offer. Choices often come down to the smallest thing. It’s not personal.

Take Time to Vent. It’s okay for you to feel angry over the rejection, even if you don’t take it personally. Just know who you can go to with your frustration so it doesn’t negatively affect your job search. For example, don’t talk about this experience in your next interview. If a company senses your frustration or desperation, they may not consider you for the open position. Talk to a trusted friend or family member about your disappointment instead.

Consider Yourself Lucky. Just because you want a job doesn’t mean the job is the best fit for you. Working for an employer that doesn’t give you the career fulfillment you want could be as big a problem as remaining unemployed. If a job doesn’t work out, it may be for the best. Imagine if you accepted a job with a company that isn’t a good fit for you and you spend all your time wishing you had done something else, that could derail your career even more.

A Career Slump is Normal. From company presidents to entrepreneurs, everyone experiences setbacks and failures in their career. Failure isn’t the end of the world; the important thing is the lesson you learn from it. If you can’t move on from it, you are holding yourself back. Instead, consider what you learned from the situation and apply it to future endeavors to achieve even greater success.

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