Shake It Off

Day 30 of 30 Days to Your Dream Job

Businesswoman daydreaming at cafeteria table
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On Day 29, you learned how to either accept or reject a job offer. But what if you apply to your dream job, interview, and do not get the job?

Being turned down for a job is never easy, but you don’t have to let it disrupt your job search. Below are a few tips on how to accept, and move on from, a job rejection.

Be Upset

Upon realizing you did not get a job, it is perfectly normal to be upset or angry. Allow yourself some time to feel those feelings.

Find an effective way to process those emotions. Talk to a supportive family member or friend about the situation, take a relaxing bath, or go for a walk or run outside. Take some time to feel and deal with your emotions.

Gain Some Perspective

Spend time with family and friends to remember what is most important in your life. Consider volunteering; giving back to others will help you remember what you have to offer outside of your job (it will also help you continue to gain new contacts).

Move On

Eventually, you have to let the rejection go and return to your job search. Don’t think of it as going “back to the drawing board.”

By writing a resume, conducting informational interviews, and practicing writing cover letters, you have already developed a number of tools and strategies to continue to help you with your job search.

Reconnect with some of your contacts, let them know you are still looking for a job, attend another job fair, and continue job searching online.

Reflect on Your Job Search

Rather than dwell on a job rejection, try to learn from any mistakes you made. If you think your resume is unorganized, talk to a career coach to learn strategies for improving your resume.

If you realize you had some grammatical mistakes in your cover letter, have a friend or family member thoroughly read over your next letter. If you struggled to answer particular questions in the interview, practice your interview skills with a friend before the next interview.

By learning from mistakes rather than dwelling on them, you can improve your chances of landing that dream job. Try not to be too discouraged - job searching is hard work. Stay positive, as best you can, and the right job will come along. It might not be as quickly as you'd like, but it will happen!