Articles From the Team
How do I handle rejection?
I find that the absolute worst part of my job is telling a candidate that they have been rejected for a role following an interview. This is just not a pleasant experience and I hate being the bearer of bad news!
The worst case is that sometimes this happens more than once. Some people get rejected a number of times following interview before, finally, securing a role. You know when they talk about kissing frogs to find your prince? It’s not dissimilar with interviews!
The reality is, at some point, you will find a role that fits. But rejection is sometimes par for the course and therefore to know how to handle hearing the word “No” will help you in the long run!
I know that your initial feelings will be failure. That’s understandable, but once you have wallowed in self pity for a moment or two, think about how you can learn from this experience. Always try and get feedback from your interview; this is then hopefully something you can learn from. Some people actually haven’t had an interview for a number of years, so something so simple as being a bit rusty can contribute. Use the feedback to build upon the strengths you do have, and identify your weaknesses – then tackle these head on. Bottom line is that you are highly likely to hear “No” at some point so use the experience to your advantage moving forward.
The above aside, sometimes it’s just not a good fit! Maybe there was a more suitable candidate in the mix? Maybe it wasn’t the right personality fit? Maybe this time around, things just didn’t fall in your favour! If you can safely say that you gave the interview your all, then don’t overthink it.
I would encourage candidates to ask at the end of the interview if the interviewer has any reservations about taking them forward in the process. This is a question which should give you an insight into what the interviewer is thinking, and potentially if there is something which needs to be clarified or explained you have the opportunity to do that.
Remember: Blockbuster said “no” to buying Netflix at a sum of $50 million, and where is Blockbuster now? American business tycoon Ross Perot refused to buy into Microsoft for $60 million and now Microsoft is valued at over $500 billion, and George Bell, CEO of Excite, declined to taking on Google for $750,000. Google is now worth $641 billion – and who’s even heard of Excite!?
If you are being met with rejection and struggling in your job search, please contact me on either emmadelli-bovi@bcllegal.com or 0121 230 1020 to have a positive chat!
For more information contact BCL Legal or call 0845 241 0933.