Use these tips to get past rejection and land an even better job. [TWEET]
Last month, music journalist Amanda Mester received a job rejection letter from digital media company Thrillist. Rather than letting it slide off her back, this spirited applicant sent a response, pointing out the letter writer’s poor grammar, and then posted her response on Twitter.
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Some will tout Amanda’s response as awesome. Even I chuckled when I read Amanda’s email and marveled at her chutzpah. Seriously, what’s more insulting than receiving a job rejection letter riddled with errors for a writing job, no less? Come on.
But Amanda took it a step further and decided to share her response on Twitter. While publicly shaming the organization that rejected you is tempting, it’s not going to help you land a job. In fact, it’s more likely to hurt your professional brand than advance your career. Here are five things you can do to deal with job rejection in a healthy and productive way.
Don’t take it personally.
I know, I know. This advice is easier said than done. It’s difficult to not take rejection personally, especially when you thought everything was going well. In the end, there are only so many factors you can control during the interview. The best thing you can do is learn from the experience and move on. As someone wiser than me once said, “Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” [TWEET] Don’t let the rejection eat you up inside.
Say thank you.
The lessons you learned in kindergarten also apply to your job search. As Come Recommended’s Heather Huhman points out, manners matter. Write a thoughtful thank you note to those with whom you interviewed, thanking them for their time and consideration. The world is smaller than you think – make sure your professional brand remains intact by sending a short, sweet note.
Ask for feedback.
Find out what you could do better in your next interview. Sometimes recruiters – especially those who want to place you with another company – are motivated to share feedback that will make you a more attractive candidate. That said, don’t count on receiving feedback after every interview. When you do receive it, treat the feedback as a gift and use it to nail your next job interview.
Stay in touch.
Send personalized LinkedIn connect requests to those you met during the interview, and touch base with these connections once a quarter. When possible, find a specific reason to reach out, such as sending holiday greetings, sharing a news article that you thought would interest the person, or congratulating them on a promotion or work anniversary. This is especially useful if you made it to the final interview round but did not get the job. This way, if things don’t work out with the other candidate, you’ve done something nice to keep your brand top of mind.
Move on.
We’ve all been there. You get so excited about this one opportunity that you’re convinced you’ll land the job. As a result, all your other job-search activities take a back seat while you prepare for the interview. Don’t fall into this trap. Instead, continue pursuing new job leads. This way, if the opportunity doesn’t work out, you won’t be back at square one with your job search.
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Amanda Augustine is the Career Management Expert for TheLadders. She provides job search and career guidance for professionals looking to improve their careers. Have a question for Amanda? Follow her at @JobSearchAmanda on Twitter and “Like” her on Facebook for up-to-the-minute advice.
Thanks Amanda, it is nice to see this boost to the toughest job I ever had, that is job hunting. Sometimes I feel like crying when getting that e mail after meeting and exceeding all their requirements or doing a first phone interview and never hearing back. On the final candidate interviews when I have one of two, the rejection is even harder and the feedback to help me grow doesn't happen. I thank you for knowing I am not alone and I know how I will better handle the people I interview in my next role.
Jim Thomas
2/4/2015, 4:11:15 PM
Timothy;
As a 'veteran' of job hunting since the pre-computer age I can tell you that job hunting today is more traumatic and disheartening then it was back then. While the internet and computerization have made it possible to locate more opportunities and apply to them it has also brought more candidates for openings and less face-to-face meetings.
Just getting an interview means that you are very good so keep honing your job hunting skills and network, network, network.
Good luck.
Dean Rorig
2/4/2015, 5:45:59 PM
Very well timed. I received the " thanks but we selected someone else" phone call today. I was fortunate in that I had some previous contact with the recruiter and was able to get some feedback. I'm a retired vet and there was some issue of how my experience applied to the current position. I was encouraged to keep looking at their open positions. It's be a roller coaster day of emotions trying to dust off and get back to job searching. Thanks for the tips. Nice to know I am not alone.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
