It stings when you are not hired after an interview for a job you really wanted. It stings even more when you are sure you are well-qualified for the position and have worked hard on your resume and interview skills. What you do with rejection is going to make a big impact on what happens next.
Don’t Assume That You Are The Reason For Rejection
A company has to conduct interviews even if they already know someone inside the corporation is getting a position. It may be that you are well-qualified for the position, your resume is stellar, and you were impressive during the interview, but the person who is getting the job has the advantage of experience.
Getting into a downward spiral of dejection in this case is a mistake. You aren’t the reason for rejection if someone else is a better choice for the job because it isn’t your failure that determined the choice here.
Admit What Is Wrong
Sometimes you actually are the reason for the rejection. It might be that you didn’t seem like a good fit for the company culture, or you didn’t look the interviewer in the eye and that came across as sneaky. Maybe you were sloppy or had too much makeup or wore perfume that made their nose itch. Perhaps you checked your cell phone for messages during the interview or some other automatic habit was a problem.
The only way to know is to work on honing your interview skills and getting help identifying your blind spots.
Be Willing To Change And Learn
If you got to the interview stage, your resume and cover letter are probably not the problem. It’s not a bad idea to go over them to make sure your qualifications are evident for the next submission, but they were good enough to get you in the door for a face to face talk. Congratulations! An interview is still a good thing even if you didn’t get the job.
You have the experience of that interview to build on, and the knowledge that you were impressive enough to call in. Now it’s time to analyze what happened and learn from it. Appreciate all the advice you can gather, apply it analytically without letting your feelings get in the way, and let rejection be the catalyst that makes your success a reality.
This guest post is by Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, BS/HR, a Certified Professional & Executive Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc. She has achieved international recognition following nominations and wins of the prestigious T.O.R.I. (Toast of the Resume Industry) Award. Find Erin at http://exclusive-executive-resumes.com.