It is true that you have spent many months, weeks and hours over preparation and managing the interview process and you feel dejected and withdrawn when not getting a favorable response but time spent mourning is the previous time spent wasted. Use this time instead on research and analysis on what went wrong and how to deal with the rejection in the positive light.
When you get to the analyzing stage you can set your focus toward identifying the reason for the interview failure. This is your first step towards turning that rejection into success.
The essence is to plan a comeback – a spirit which shouts “I will not quit”.
It is not the time to take the rejections personally; it is not always you it could be them. But judgment must come after a careful analysis, not before.
- The first message you must have with you is that a few negative results do not mean “never”. There are others in the same boat, rejections are part of life; what matters most is what you learn from them and how you apply the knowledge going forward.
- The second very important message – It is not you. There could be many different reasons why the firm you interviewed with never got back to you – maybe they fell in a hiring freeze after a series of interviews, or the advertised position could not take off due to budgetary issues or some other unforeseen reason. See how effective follow-up post interviews can get you the job.
- The third message which is also a well used cliché – you must learn from your mistakes. There is a possibility that it was you, not them. Rejections are not the time to sulk and get in your cocoon of self-depreciation. Nor does a negative statement like “oh it’s just not possible to re-enter the workforce at this stage” can help solve any problem. As with every stage in life, it is a time to learn from your experience and analyze why and what is not going right. Plan on your next moves with learning from your experiences and with the right attitude.
Question: How have you dealt with a rejection after an interview?