Karen Idesoh is one of our Careers Consultants who has written a great post about dealing with job rejection. Rejection can be difficult to overcome but always remember that as one door closes, another one opens!
Back in the day when formal job offers were sent by post I regularly received my job rejection letter on a Saturday morning. Just in time to put a downer on my weekend. I felt demoralised, frustrated and often indulged in some harsh self-criticism. I took the rejection very personally.
It took me a while to build my resilience in the ups and downs of job search as an upcoming graduate and in the first few years of my career. Let me tell you what helped me move from negative introspection to using my time and energy in a more positive direction.
1. I realised that the universe wasn’t out to get me. Friends and other students were also receiving disappointing news and I realised that while getting the first or even second job you apply for does happen for some people, most of us have to put the work in by making a number of applications and interviews before we get our first graduate job. Sure, I still had to go through the emotional rollercoaster that can come with job search but knowing that I was experiencing a similar journey to others helped me be more realistic about what to expect.
2. I began to lean into the phrase “worry is a misuse of imagination.” Rather than lose sleep over “will I get a graduate job with the organisations I’m aiming for / what if I end up in a job with no real prospects” I started to challenge the worry. I moved from what if it all goes wrong, to what do I need to do to give the best possible chance for it to go right.
3. I gave myself permission to ask for help. I got a second opinion my job applications and CV and I practised different interview formats and questions to prepare as well as I could before the “real event.” I used my career service but also roped in family and friends that were willing/or able to help.
4. I started to celebrate the small wins and build my confidence and self-belief. I moved from “I didn’t get the job to, I got to the final stage of recruitment, which proves to me that I must be a strong candidate.”
5. I gave myself some time off from job search and did something just for me. Some weeks it was a night in, eating Maltesers while watching a movie and other times it was just having a night out with some friends. I took a break and once rested I restarted the job search – eventually I landed my first graduate role.
If you want to find out more about building your resilience there are some great resources on our self care and resilience KEATS page and remember you don’t have to do it alone. We have a great careers team who are here to help, you just have to ask.