Job search rejection is hard to take - try these 7 ways to bounce back

Whether it's never hearing back after applying for a role or not getting selected after the final round of interviews, rejection can be hard to take.

From my career coaching work, dwelling on rejection is something that job seekers can struggle with. It’s so easy to focus on being turned down, often forgetting the bigger picture. Rejection, whilst never pleasant, can often be blown out of proportion and viewed as a sign of personal failure.

It happens to us all………

It’s pretty inevitable that you will face it at some point in your job search journey. Say you apply to 5 jobs and you get rejected from all of them, you feel as though it's your own failing and it's a reflection on you. It can harm your confidence and self-esteem much worse than failures anywhere else in your working life because what you are pitching is you! It’s your personal brand and rejection can run deep.

But don’t let it stop you from getting started!

Even worse can be the fear of rejection that stops you dead in your tracks when it comes to progressing your job search. Fear of someone saying ‘no’ can put you off from reaching out to your network or applying for certain jobs because the negative voice in your head tells you that your're not ready to start or not worthy of being hired at a more senior level. It can be quite easy to let that voice in your head talk you out of your job search or stop you from taking a chance on a role that you think you’d be a great fit for.

Here are 7 tips to help when you need to rebound from job search rejection

Tip 1 Keep a list of your positive qualities and achievements

This alone can help keep your confidence up and especially is you’ve been job searching for a while. Try creating a list of positive attributes about yourself so you can remember how great you are when the search doesn't go as planned. Job-hunting is a skill just like any other and it can take a bit of time to learn to do it well and get results. Especially if you are heading back to the market after time away from job searching.

Tip 2 - Take the learning from the process

At the very least you should feel as though you have learned something through the interview process. We all learn from our experiences, and interviewing is no different. However, if you performed to the best of your ability, displayed all your relevant technical expertise, demonstrated your competencies and communicated in your most engaging manner in an interview but were still turned down, then you can take comfort from knowing that that role may not have been the best fit for you right now. You may find your mind unable to rest until you establish a logical explanation for the rejection. Thorough feedback may not be provided, as candidates are often rejected because of an interviewer's gut feeling – despite meeting technical requirements. Instead of dwelling on your disappointment, keep your mind focused on other opportunities and continue to present yourself to the best of your ability. If you find you are facing continuous rejection then use it as a means for developing resilience. But be sure to take action on any feedback that you are receiving from recruitment processes.

Tip 3 - Name and tame your negative voice

We’ve all got one - that voice if our head that tells you that you can’t or shouldn’t. You’ll need to do some work on taming your negative self-talk before it talks you right out of your job search. Naming your negative voice is one way of taming the voice. When you name the voice, you put it outside of yourself. You can notice it and choose to let it go. You can even pick a funny name for your negative voice (like Brene Brown who call hers Gremlin) to give it less power. If you have a positive voice that you know you can depend on, try naming that one too, and give it a shout for the times when your ‘Gremlin’ comes a calling!

Tip 4 - Visualise the current state and the target state

Visualise a time when you were excited about a new job or happy in your current one. What feelings do the images conjure up for you? What parts of the images excite you? The people? The work? Then think about your job today. Do you have different feelings? What don’t you have in your current job that you wish you did? Finally, visualise how you’ll feel when you find your new job. What parts of the new job will make you feel this way? Using visualisation to determine what’s important to you will help you power through the job-hunting process if there is disappointment or it’s taking longer than you anticipated. Use this technique when exhaustion or negative and false narratives begin to take over

Tip 5 - Stop to consider your approach

If you keep getting a ‘thanks but no thanks’, it may be time to do some reflection. Are you applying for jobs that might be just outside of your core skills and experience? What does your social media footprint say about you? What do you need to do in the short and medium term of increase your chances of success next time round. It’s also worth considering how you might be coming across at interview - when you've had one rejection after another, it's easy to start feeling bitter, resentful and angry. Be sure that this this is leaking out when you are going for your next role.

Tip 6 - Positive mantras can help

Self-talk yourself into a success-oriented mindset. Have a list of positive affirmations and play them on loop to fight back against the obstacles and hurdles in your path.

“This is merely a minor setback; I will find a new job!”

“Just because I was rejected for the job does not diminish my self-worth and value.”

“I am smart, talented and have a lot to offer.”

“I won’t give up and will make it through this tough time!”

Tip 7 - Get yourself a cheerleader

Everyone should have a cheerleader in their network (if you don’t, try thinking about ways you can build your network to include this and other key supporters). A cheerleader is the friend who is always your champion. They may not have expert advice or ideas or feedback for you, but they always have encouraging words of support. Cheerleaders are optimistic and enthusiastic, so you can count on them when you need a burst of positive energy.

I am not advocating a regular pity party here – you don’t want to drive your cheerleader away. But sometimes you may need to vent, or at least say exactly how you feel, and a cheerleader is someone who won’t be brought down by your negativity. In fact, their enthusiasm is often contagious and just speaking to them can help you bounce back, whether you talk about your job search specifically or not.