How to Deal with Job Rejection
Aug. 2023
By NTI
It’s the message you didn’t want to receive. You thought you had the job, but it didn’t turn out that way.
You just found out and you’re mad and feeling very down and out.
“That’s a natural reaction,” said Alan Hubbard, NTI’s Chief Operating Officer. “It’s OK to feel that way, but remember, you are just one step closer to getting the job you really want.”
First thing to consider is that the decision might have been out of your control or something happened that influenced their decision. It could have been a financial decision some companies have a fluid budget and sometimes don’t have the funds they were hoping to get.
Another factor is the company decided to go with an internal candidate. Some companies have a policy of giving the existing staff the job.
“There could be a million reasons that are out of your control,” said Hubbard, “and there is no way you will ever know the answer. You just have to collect yourself and look for the next opportunity.”
Once you have gotten over being angry at not being selected, you might want to take an objective look at the interview process. What did you that you might not do the next time? Should I have asked this or that question in the interview?
“This can be a very helpful exercise if you are capable of being objective about yourself,” said Hubbard. “You might want to try to talk it out with a friend who has experience looking for a job or is a hiring manager. If it is constructive advice, it could be a big benefit you.”
One thing you might want to make sure you do is drop a thank you note to the person you interviewed with to thank them for their time and for considering you. First, you don’t know if the person they hired is going to work out, and you might have been the second choice. Second, you want to leave a good impression on the hiring manager if something else comes up at that company.
“A lot of people have been rejected by a company the first time, only to get another chance and be very successful there,” said Hubbard. “We hear stories about that all the time.”
NTI works with Americans with disabilities and their family caregivers to find job opportunities with government organizations, Fortune 500 companies, large and small companies to work at home in call center positions. Register at www.ntcentral.org.