After preparing your resume and maybe even a cover letter, you carefully select companies and certain positions that you would like to apply for only to get the generic response: “thanks, but no thanks” message or “we decided to move on with someone else”.
As this happens, your self-confidence may drop, and you begin to question what you did wrong. This setback makes you second guess yourself and rethink your value to an employer.
The amount of “NO’s” should not prevent you from pursing additional interviews. This will only hurt you and alienate yourself from the workforce and prevent you from seeking new opportunities.
With this lack of motivation, you think that you couldn't get a job because no one wants to hire you …. yet.
Don’t get discouraged.
Remember, rejection, failure, or whatever upsets you encounter, should not halt your job search efforts. If anything, these outcomes should fuel your determination, reduce your fear, and spark a new sense of motivation!
You’ll see that persistence and hard work really do pay off.
Review the following quick takeaways to minimize job search rejection and take control of your job search:
1.) Be Unique
Employers may get as many as 1 thousand resumes for one job opening. Try to make yourself stand out from the 999 other applicants.
2.) Don’t Put All Your Marbles In One Basket
You’ve heard the saying, so don't set yourself up for a letdown. If you don’t get one particular job, don’t count yourself out and don’t write yourself off as a “failure”. Keep a positive mindset and don’t go for a job with the attitude “it’s all or nothing”.
Look at getting that job you want as a possibility and never as an impossibility.
But if you can’t get what you want, move on. There are a lot of other companies who would like to interview you and see how you can contribute to their organization.
3.) It’s Not The Interviewer’s Fault
Again, the Interviewer may be interviewing multiple people for a single position and be overwhelmed. Keep in mind, they are also looking out for their reputation in hiring the absolute best for the position. Just like with anything, the Interviewer may get it wrong and not hire you.
But don’t hold a grudge. Before you decide to blame someone else for not getting that job, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Think about ways you can improve next time to get your talents over in your interview.
4. It’s Not Always About You
Yes, it’s important to sell your skills but don’t forget to concentrate on what the interviewer’s problems are and specify how you can work together to solve such problems.
After all, the reason why anyone is hired is to solve the problems that the company is hiring for in the first place.
So, are you their next problem solver?
5.) Stay positive
Do you want to work with someone that is negative!? Likely not. So once again, bring that positive personality and mindset to the interview.
If you want to be remembered and considered for the role, make sure you leave a positive impression on all those you interview with. Your chances of landing the job will increase if the interviewer(s) have a positive interaction with you.
6.) Picture Yourself In the New Role
Before you attend the interview, picture yourself of how the job interview will be and mentally prepare yourself for it. Practicing with family or role playing with a friend in asking you questions that might be asked during the interview will help you before it really is time to go to the interview.
Also, when in doubt, the mirror can be your friend. That is, talk to yourself in the mirror as if you were speaking to someone else so you can practice your thoughts, reactions, and facial expressions. While this may come across as odd, it can actually be a real confidence booster.
7. Keep Pushing Forward
If you keep thinking about the past and your failures, you are already setting up yourself for failure.
Instead, think about what went wrong or what you could do to improve and keep practicing until you get the job you want.
Never underestimate yourself and always keep moving forward!
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