Dealing with Rejection During the Job Search

If you looked in the dictionary for a definition of the term “job hunt,” would you see the word “rejection”?
No. But maybe you should.
A job hunt guarantees you’ll be “rejected.” You’ll hear “no” countless times, from receptionists, HR professionals, hiring managers, even potential colleagues.
Understand this fact and you’re well on your way to surviving the inevitable rejection you’re going to face as a job hunter. You’ll even perhaps see yourself with a new job more quickly, too.
Follow the tips below to help you deal with rejection during your job search:

  • First, accept — really and truly accept  — that rejection is a major part of the job search. Embrace this fact and accept it as just a part of the job search process.
  • Work hard to not focus on “all” the rejection. That is, it’s human nature to start thinking “I’m being rejected so much, I’ll always be rejected. I’ll never find work” This is called “catastrophic thinking” (“this occurrence has happened more than once and so it will happen all the time!”) and it can pull you down into the whirlpoo1 of negative thinking faster than, well, a whirlpool! You’ve found work before, you will find work again.
  • In conjunction in not letting rejection become your focus, remember your strengths. Focus on those things at which you excel and about which you’re passionate. Don’t keep berating yourself for not being perfect.
  • Understand that even the “perfect” and the “good” candidates get rejected. All the time! Only one person can fill a position and many great people apply. Many hiring managers would hire more of the great candidates who apply…if they could. But they can’t, so they don’t and so you get “rejected.” Onward!
  • Don’t take the “rejection” letter too personally. It’s just a letter telling you that the position has been filled by someone else. Don’t try to read between the lines. It’s just a letter, nothing more.
  • Remember that the right job for you is out there. The fact that you’ve been rejected actually could be a blessing – after all, you didn’t land the “wrong” job for you. Consider yourself lucky.

Bring your resume to the Opti Staffing Group. We have many temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire positions with some of Anchorage’s, Seattle’s, Lake Tacoma’s, Portland’s, Lake Oswego’s, and Chicago’s best employers. If your many skills match their many needs, we can possibly get you working very quickly. Contact us today!

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