How To Turn Job Rejection Into An Advantage

Job rejection isn't uncommon. What’s really uncommon is an attitude to face the challenges head-on and use everything that comes your way to your advantage. Related:How To Deal With Rejection It is NOT natural to feel demoralized, upset, and angry upon receiving a gut wrenching “Thanks, but no thanks” notification from an employer you were so eager to work for. It is mental conditioning, and this behavior can be altered.

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How Different People React To Job Rejection

Remember, even the smartest of professionals are turned down for positions they had always wanted. It happens, and it’s completely natural. Most people accept failures by default and move on as if by force of habit. Others fail (yet again) to come to terms with the reality that they have subconsciously accepted and continue to brood over it for a very long time. A select few turn it to their advantage. They draw strength from everything that life throws at them. It is completely up to you which category of job seekers you wish to belong to. Failures are not to be accepted. They are indicative of the fact that you have a chance to learn the new tricks, become stronger, and scale even higher mountains.

You Choose How You React, Always

Yes, it takes some practice to learn how to transmute the negative feelings resulting from rejection into something positive and empowering, especially when you are qualified, experienced, and have all that is necessary to succeed. But, worrying or continually dwelling over a temporary failure does not help, right? It will just make you less confident the next time you are onto something similar, or bigger. The decision to accept, reject, or deal with failure is entirely yours. There are no set rules.

Is It Possible To Try Again

Sometimes it is possible to give another shot to the job you really wanted but could not get. Susan Adams has penned a beautiful piece on this. Susan narrates the story of a woman eyeing a top sales position in a reputed company who was rejected at first, then managed to get the job she wanted through systematic communication with the hiring manager. Think objectively, as an experienced motivational speaker would tell you.

• If you think you deserved the position you applied for, contact the hiring manager and politely ask for the feedback. A well-written email will fetch you a new professional contact – a hiring manager who did not recruit you the first time but would want to reconsider you the next time, or possibly recommend you to someone else because you have demonstrated maturity in dealing with rejection (something that majority of candidates simply fail to do).
• If you think you lost the winning line by few inches, you can even ask the employer to reconsider you for the position. But keep in mind that you will have to first identify the gap and later try to fill it up! For example, if the company vice-president decided to choose someone else over you at the last minute just because you lacked relevant experience in one out of ten areas, make it a point to provide information, real professional life example, and so on to allay his fears.

Most candidates do not try either of these options - you've got to be a positive person to do that.

Is There No Way Out?

If there’s no way out, well, you might as well look forward. Not getting what you really want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck, say the wise. But this holds true only if you do not look at failure as fate, but an opportunity – an occasion to aim even higher by challenging yourself.

You Can Turn Job Rejection To Your Advantage

Yes, it is possible. All it takes is the courage to challenge your own emotions, willingness to look at the situation in an objective manner, and, most importantly, the belief that you can do it! Your story (over the next few months) can be like:

1. One job rejection and then another.
2. Frustration and lack of interest in profession you once admired.
3. Drop in confidence and self-esteem.
4. Aim for smaller goals and settle for ‘less.'

Or, you can consciously choose to make it this way:

1. One job rejection.
2. Self-analysis and skill review.
3. Skill development and focus on learning.
4. More confidence.
5. Aim for bigger goals; do not settle for ‘less.’

Have you experienced rejection recently? It’s not permanent and it does not define you. How rejection affects your professional life is entirely your decision. Yes, lack of funds, opportunities lost, and, in some cases, loss of your spouse’s confidence in you may come around to pull you down, but in the grand scheme of things, all that matters is whether you tried to pave your own path or not.

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