Introduction
Challenge:
So, a job seeker asked me for advice on how to deal with rejection during their job search.
Solution:
Listen, we’ve all been there. We fell in love with a job while reading the vacancy announcement. We applied, then we waited, and waited, and…waited, but never got an invite to interview. Or, we got that long-awaited interview invite, showed up and knocked the interviewer’s socks off with our well-planned responses to their questions, only to get a “Dear Jane/John” call or email that we were not the chosen candidate. Then, there’s the interview that you never heard anything back from. None of these scenarios do much to build your confidence for a successful job search. So, that’s why you must take matters into your own hands. Follow my strategy below maintain your mental, physical and emotional strength during your job search journey, because you are going to achieve success along that journey. It won’t be in vain.
Strategy Steps
1) Engage in positive self talk; 2) Don’t place all of your eggs in one basket; 3) Assess your interview performance; 4) Don’t stop taking chances; 5) Know that the job that is right for you is out there.
Strategy in Action
Step 1:
Engage in Positive Self Talk – This advice comes from my spiritual foundation. I believe that each of us has gifts and talents that we all have something to offer each employer that we apply to. You must know it about yourself first. Some people may think that I’m crazy when I advise others to engage in positive self talk. Believe me, though, that you will continue to remain uplifted if you know how to build yourself up. You need to know the gifts that you bring to the table.
So, each morning, no matter how down-trodden you may feel, you need to look yourself in the mirror and speak self-affirming statements to yourself. Tell yourself, “I’m talented, creative, deserving of all good things that come my way, intelligent, qualified, prepared and able/capable. You will see that the more you say those things to yourself, those positive thoughts will get down inside of you and become a part of your spirit. Yes, at times, you may still feel a little down; however, it won’t take you as long to rebound from that let down and get back in the saddle again to continue moving toward achieving your goals.
Step 2:
Don’t place all of your eggs in one basket – I’ve seen too many job seekers do this. They fall in love with that “perfect” position and they don’t apply to any other jobs. Let me tell you, until you sign that offer letter and start that job on day one, you should continue to be open to all options. As I have shared before, when I accepted my first position with my current employer, I had already verbally accepted another position with another great company. So, when I interviewed with my current employer I let them know that I had verbally accepted another job. make this mistake.
Step 3:
Assess your interview performance – Let me share a story with you. I had a printer jam the morning of an interview. Then, I realized, during the interview that not all of my career portfolios had all of the pages. Needless to say, I did not get the job. I honestly assessed my interview performance and used it as a learning opportunity. I still sent the interviewers thank you letters for taking the time to interview me. The lessons learned from that experience help me to do better during my next interview.
Step 4:
Don’t stop taking chances – You can’t give up, because if you do, you will not achieve your goal. If you keep trying, you just might be successful on your next try. So, don’t give up. That may sometimes stepping outside of your comfort zone and applying for jobs for which you don’t fully qualify. You may have transferrable skills, though, that could help you to be successful in that job. You must continue to take calculated risks.
Step 5
Know that the job that is right for you is out there – This goes back to my spiritual foundation that teaches me that you will get what is meant for you. God’s gifts are available to everyone and He has enough gifts to share with all of His creation. Sometimes, he closes one door so that He can open a better one…the one that’s right for you.
Conclusion
So, I hope that this information and this advice resonates with you and helps you along your job search journey to success. Success will come. So, if you found this today’s post helpful, where ever you’re watching, please scroll down and leave me a comment or ask a question. I would love to hear from you. As always…
Career Search Success to You! Go Get Your New Job!
