READ TIME – 4 MINUTES
Job rejection is hard to process in any aspect of life, and we’ve all been there.
Whether you didn’t get invited to that birthday party as a child or your school crush didn’t fancy your braces and acne. Job rejection preserves in adult life, especially concerning your career.
Knowing how to handle job rejection depression is important so that you don’t fall into a hole of self-pity and demotivation, but hey if you’ve already slipped in, reading on might give you the strength to climb out!
Accept Job Rejection and Persevere
Rejection is part of the process during your career; some of the most successful people on the globe have been shot down multiple times before getting their break.
For example JK. Rowling, the astounding author of Harry Potter, was rejected by 12 different publishing companies before scoring success.
Walt Disney, the founder of one of America’s richest companies, was ironically fired from his day job for ‘lacking creativity’ and the proposal of Mickey mouse was rejected over 300 times, now that’s what we call perseverance!
Although being turned away from a job can be a hard pill to swallow, like most nasty tasting vitamins, it is beneficial. Nobody goes through their career without facing any form of rejection.
It builds resilience, urges us to do better, and builds character for the next time you may experience job rejection depression. Try and challenge negative emotions into motivation and don’t forget, you’ve got this!
Wasn't Meant to Be
If you know that you couldn’t have done anything better in the interview and your CV is immaculate, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
Job rejection doesn’t mean that they did not recognise you’re an ambitious individual with a variety of skills; there might have just been someone with more relevant qualifications or your skills did not match as well with the job as would have hoped. Maybe the employers may have done you a favour as you could have struggled with the job…
Wouldn’t you rather work somewhere that you will flourish?
If Walt Disney wasn’t fired from his day job, he might have not gone on to be one of America’s wealthiest individuals.
Adjust Approach
If you haven’t already, there are many aspects to consider when applying for jobs and what could be going wrong. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? Is your profile picture professional yet friendly? What sort of content do you interact with, is it appropriate and relevant?
Linkedin share really great advise on how to create an all-singing all-dancing profile here.
What to Consider When Overcoming Job Rejection
- Ensure that your CV has no mistakes and is easy to read. (The most common mistakes are the smaller ones; capitalisation of dates, universities and job titles)
- Ask a mentor or trusted friend for constructive criticism and feedback on your CV.
- Practice answering interview questions.
- Don’t forget to be enthusiastic and smile at interviews!
Set Realistic Expectations
It was hard enough to land a job pre COVID, but now with 9.8 million people in the UK searching for their next role, job rejection depression is bound to happen with so many candidates applying for one role. Take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone and don’t be disheartened; make sure to keep up to date wit our blog posts which highlight what you can do to stand out… as well as other really useful interview advise!
𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳
We don’t mean that as in brush your hair before an interview, although that would be a good idea!
It can be disheartening and mentally draining when searching for a job, which can sometimes lead to job rejection depression. Make sure to take care of your psychical and mental wellbeing.
- Practice mindfulness. (Proven to help job rejection depression and anxiety)
- Challenge negative thoughts.
- Create a routine, waking up early and showering. ( even if you have nothing to do! ) instead of sitting in your PJs all day.
- Take up a hobby and distract yourself from your job rejection depression.
I know it’s frustrating but you’ll get there, we believe in you!
Let AvA-V Help With You Overcome Job Rejection
If you’re looking for your next career opportunity but unsure where to start… we can help!
Get in touch with our specialist recruitment team on 01565 758 000 or by emailing jobs@ava-v.com we can help get your job hunt started… whilst supporting you through the entire process.