Keep Calm and Carry On (In Your Job Search)

Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. A sure thing blooms into nothing instead, a perfect interview was followed by another even more perfect interview that wasn’t you, etc… It can be tough for job seekers to keep their heads up when the rejection piles on in the job search. How, then, can you learn to keep calm and carry on after job search rejection?

A couple weeks ago the Boston Globe posted some tips on staying positive after job search rejection. I believe the biggest key is not over-personalizing the rejection. That’s not to say you shouldn’t examine any flaws you might have, or any possible corrections you can make for your next interview. Don’t fixate on the flaws though. Remember how many other worthy candidates applied and interviewed for each job. You may not know how many job seekers apply to each position, but it’s likely a lot. Over-personalizing job search rejection will ultimately cause you to question the awesomeness you bring to the table in your next interview.

The article also suggests job seekers create a job search strategy to help deal with rejection. Instead of looking at the rejection as a rejection of you, employ a sales tactic for the future to help as you go on in the job search. Developing a marketing campaign, the article argues, will help focus you on the job search instead of the rejection.

I can see merit to the sales strategy, however, a caveat is to make sure you personalize the strategy to each job. Creating a base of marketing materials is an excellent start, and will also help pinpoint some of what you can improve on for the next opportunity, but make sure that it can be customizable to each job.

My main piece of advice however is to steer some of your focus away from your job search. Rejection stings, and taking a step back from the job search for a moment may help you gain clarity on what you really want. It’s important to not just aim for a job, but look for a job which allows you to balance your personal priorities as well. Focusing on both your job search and your personal life will help you feel refreshed–making you a more relaxed, better candidate.

How about you, Spark Hire job seekers: tell us, what are some tips you have for overcoming job search rejection? Leave a comment below!

IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by Derek Keats