- Understand what went wrong
- Consider it as a step
- Don't over-analyse
- Continue to move forward
We've all been there. You give the interview your all and spend what feels like an eternity waiting for a reply. Then you get the rejection email.
It'll always be disappointing, and it'll often make you wonder why you bothered applying in the first place. Here's how to stay motivated, and move forward...
1. Ask for feedback
We know you might not exactly feel like asking for it. After all, who wants a list of reasons why they weren't good enough for a role?
Trust us, that's not the case, and yes, you really need to ask for feedback. If you don't get proper feedback from your interview, the whole process was for nothing.
What do you do with feedback? Feed forward! This isn't a list of things you did wrong – this is a checklist for your next interview.
2. Remember it's part of the process
Quick fact: everybody has been rejected for a role somewhere at some point in time.
Although it might sometimes feel like failure after failure, just remember, there's always another opportunity around the corner.
It's implausible that you should get every single job you go for. Just remember, it's how the job market works. You should never take it personally.
3. Don't over-analyse
There's a certain amount of questions you have to ask yourself after an interview. But after an unsuccessful application, those "what ifs" can become overwhelming.
"Did I ask enough questions?" "Did I explain my experience properly?" "Did I smile enough?"
Yes, you have to think about what you could have done better. It's an essential part of refining your interview skills.
But when you find yourself surmising that the reason you didn't get the job was because your handshake wasn't firm enough, you're probably over-analysing the situation.
4. Get better, go again
On this occasion, it was just one job (out of the thousands of jobs out there) you didn't get. It wasn't anything personal. This time wasn't your time.
Now it's time to move on.
Now you've got a plan of action. Get your potential weaknesses cornered, think of some ways you can improve, and start again.
Improve your interview skills by understanding why you didn't get the job