“Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was being re-directed to something better.” –Dr. Steve Maraboli

Just received an interview rejection letter? Worry not! Here are few tips that will help you to cope up after facing rejection..

Let us be honest, none of us like being rejected for anything in life. More so, if the rejection is after a job interview.  The reception of interview rejection letter hits us harder. Most of the companies in India, with an exception of few, do not even let you know if you are not shortlisted after the interview. The candidates are just kept in the dark. This is truly unprofessional and makes the matter even worse for candidates to handle.

It is common to see job aspirants getting stuck in endless cycles of rejection and getting into depression. This not only spoils their chances of finding the right offer but also delays the process. However, life goes on even after repeated rejections.

Take time to feel the rejection

Don’t rush yourself out of the pain. Take your time and slowly grow out of it. Once you have felt the emotion fully, you will ready to take things in stride and walk out of it. Everyone has their own coping mechanism, some people get over things quickly, while others take a lot of time to accept and move forward. Don’t let a mere interview rejection letter take a toll on yourself.

Accept the situation

Once you have got out of the rejection mode, it’s time to accept. With an open-mind, accept the fact that you did not get the desired job. You are fully aware of your situation and can face the reality with an open heart and mind. Acceptance of a bitter reality is the first step towards bigger things in life.

Don’t take it personally

An interview is a usual process in the professional world and there is nothing personal about it. So, try not to take the rejection personally. It’s not that there is something wrong with you or the interviewer did not like you as a person. It’s just that they did not find you to be the right fit for the role. You must also avoid nursing any grudges against the company or the interviewer. He/she was just doing his/her job just as you did yours. This is a small world and you never know you may have to work with them in the future under some other collaboration.

Realize it’s not end of the world and move on

No matter how hard you prepared for it, at the end of the day it was just an interview. The company in question isn’t the last one in this world. There are many other fishes in the pond. In the entire process, do not lose your inner motivation. There is more to life. Find out your strengths, your passion, and work on them. An interview rejection letter is not the end of anything.

Continue your job search

Let repeated rejections not stop you from your job search. Continue the process just as usual. Be on the lookout for similar or better opportunities. Keep track of the organisations which you think you take your career to the next level and focus on them. If you stop your job search process due to fear of rejection you may miss out on many lucrative offers. The key is, to be in the game!

Rewind to think what could have gone wrong

Once you have gained perspective over the situation, try to do some introspection. Identify what could have gone wrong. Could you have answered the question better? Did you understand the profile clearly? Did you apply for the right job? Were you not being a good listener? It is very important to identify the issues because it gives you a reality check and helps you to move ahead in this process. Let that interview rejection letter be a lesson for you to do better ahead.

Work on your weaknesses and be objective

Identifying the weaknesses and not working on them will not serve the purpose. There has to be a steady amount of improvement process in place. Re-skill yourself, get a global certification if the job demands, work on mock projects, etc. to improve your chances at the job interview. If it is about facing the interview, try to improve your communication skills and, practice interviews with a friend or colleague.

Wherever you see a scope for improvement, spring into action and turn it around in your favor. So, shrug off the past and rebound after an interview rejection. You cannot escape interviews, but you can surely choose to be more discreet and objective about the entire process.

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