Imagine this – you’ve spent nearly your entire childhood and some of your adult life preparing for that dream job. You’ve held on to that dream throughout all the years you’ve gone to school and then you took a crack at making that dream a reality once and for all.
What happens when, after all of that, the company you’ve always wanted to work in rejected your application?
Surely, all of you will agree that this is heartbreaking. It hurts to work so hard to try and achieve something only to be shot down at your first try.
Well, here is one thought that you should hold on to: THERE IS LIFE waiting beyond your dream job. Don’t let that discourage you. Learn to cope with rejection.
Give Yourself a Break
You’ve been wired and wound so tight for so many years as you prepared yourself to achieve that job you’ve wanted the most. If the rejection is so hard to accept, perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that you need to give yourself a break.
You’re probably being hard on yourself right now, blaming yourself for not being good enough to qualify for the job. It’s not your fault. You may have limitations that set you back from being hired, but it’s not entirely your fault.
Don’t rush into trying to apply for another job at another company when you’re still distraught about the rejection. It’s akin to going into a rebound relationship after your girlfriend or boyfriend has left you.
In addition, that state of mind might just result to more rejections – and that can lead to serious depression and self-esteem issues.
Both of that will not help you out in any way. So, give yourself a short break.Give yourself time to deal with your emotions.
Maybe It’s not Time Yet For Your Dream Job
You may be telling yourself that you’re never landing that dream job. However, chances are – it’s just not the right time for you. Maybe you need to gain some more experience from another company that’s willing to train you and nurture you.
Be open to trying again for that dream job. Consider the rejection as a challenge, not a slap to the face. Ask yourself what possible reasons they may have for not shortlisting you. Change your focus into identifying your weak points and work on improving them.
As you work on fortifying your skills, you’ll find that you’re vastly improving yourself and building value that will transform your weaknesses into your strengths. These strengths are what your future employers will look at, and lessen the rejections.
British website TARGET Jobs even suggests ringing up the company to ask why they chose the other candidate. It takes a lot of guts to do this, but doing so could gain you valuable insight on where you went short in your qualifications. That will make your job of gaining credibility for the job slightly easier – you know what you need to work on.
This doesn’t work for everyone, of course. Psychology Today warns, on the contrary, that you shouldn’t ask for feedback if you don’t want to hear something you’re not ready to accept. This might just push you over the edge.
Build your experience and skill set, and try again in a few years. Be patient – you’ve spent nearly two decades in school, so what’s a couple of years more?
Don’t Give Up!
The landscape is very competitive, especially in today’s digital age. You may run into stiff competition, but it’s not reason for you to give up. Build your own professional value, and you’ll find that it’s easier to get the jobs that you want and be happy with.