It’s hard not to take rejection after a job interview personally. Some people have to face rejection from potential employers more times than others, and it is extremely unmotivating. If you are searching for new opportunities these past several months, you may face even more rejections during COVID-19.
You must overcome these rejections and use them as lessons on perfecting your interview skills for the next opportunities that arise. Ultimately setting yourself apart from your competition can really make a difference. Here are some tips to help you plan your next steps after one or even multiple rejections:
1. Applaud yourself for getting where you did
The fact that you were asked to meet with the hiring manager, and maybe even went through a couple rounds of interviews, shows that they are interested to invest the time out of their day to meet with you. It proves that you have the experience and skill set that’s valuable to one company, and most likely for others as well. Don’t think that every rejection is from something you failed to do because sometimes maybe there was just another candidate that was a closer match for the company. Sometimes you may feel you have the experience and skills that the company is looking for, but you may be over-qualified as well. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t a match and changing your perspective in this way can help you kickstart your next search.
2. Ask for feedback
Politely asking the hiring manager or the recruiter for detailed feedback can help you better understand any areas that you could done better or need improvement. Don’t be afraid to reach out for feedback on your interview—we try to get detailed feedback from hiring managers when we can! Keep in mind that sometimes if a company is busy or they have many candidates they have interviewed for the position, they may only provide feedback on the candidates that will move on to the next round of interviews. Whether you receive feedback or not, take a moment to look back on the interview process, and do a self-assessment of how you think you did during the interview.
3. Always keep a fresh approach
When applying for your next job, consider tailoring your resume to fit the requirements of the job description. Understand that even though two different jobs have the same title, they may not necessarily be the same. What each company looks for in their position can slightly differ. Having the right technical skills is only part of it and you must also be able to show that you can fit in with the company culture as well. Also, make sure you take on each interview with the perfect combination of confidence and humility every single time. If you go into your next interview with a lack of confidence, hiring managers can easily spot that, and they don’t know if it’s because you’re lying about your experience, or you’re not confident in the position you’re interviewing for. Similarly, being over-confident and assuming that you already have the job in the bag is not good either. Make sure you do enough research about the company beforehand and listen to what the hiring manager says during the interview. Always ensure you ask smart questions to engage in meaningful conversations.
4. Broaden which jobs you apply for
If you’ve been simply doing a keyword search for a specific job title and finding you’re not having any luck with your interviews, it may be time broaden your search. Not every company gives the same job title for each job. Try researching different job titles that have similar responsibilities and functions as the positions you’ve been doing and apply to them. Don’t automatically skip over a job simply because you may not have all of the requirements that they ask for—whether it’s the years of experience, or specific skills and software experience. Companies will always seek the best available candidate and can be flexible with what talent they invite for interviews, depending on the value that they see a candidate can bring.
Remember, each interview brings you one step closer to landing your next job. If you get an interview, remember that you stood out from a sea of other job applicants and that’s an accomplishment in itself. Taking each job rejection as a learning opportunity rather than another sign of defeat will help you come out on top in your next interview.
Contact us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you build your team with talent today!