The 5 worst things you can do if you didn’t get the job

Job seeking can be very tough, and dealing with rejection is one of the most important aspects of finding success. Retaining a positive attitude and moving forward is a step in the right direction, but taking it hard and feeling down is not going to help matters.

Failing at the application or the interview stage could be for any number of reasons, and it’s how you react to the situation that will allow you to pinpoint what may be going wrong. It could be that your CV needs polishing up, or your interview techniques need practice. It could also be that there are just so many other job seekers applying for the role that your chances are instantly reduced.

There is however a light at the end of the tunnel, and to help you move forward and find success, here are the 5 worst things you can do if you didn’t get the job:

Get angry 

It’s understandable to feel angry that you didn’t get the job, but the important thing to remember is that you need to contain any frustrations you have and don’t let that effect the way in which you respond. Refrain from replying to any emails with anything other than a positive reply, and always remain professional.

Sometimes you might get a phone call from the manager letting you know you were unsuccessful, and again, don’t let your anger take over resulting in saying something you will regret. You should never burn any bridges as you never know if another opportunity becomes available further down the road.

Some employers keep hold of applications for future reference, and when something else becomes available they may decide to contact you. If you keep everything professional and respond to rejection in a positive way, you will be remembered for your professionalism, and could end up with another offer.

A larger company may have positions available in another department, and there could be other branches nearby looking to hire. The manager may have been calling you to offer you something else, so let them finish what they have to say before you let your frustration take over and interrupt them.

It’s also possible that the job opportunity was not quite right for you anyway, and looking back over the interview you may actually feel that being unsuccessful this time was the right call for both parties. When faced with rejection you should always take some time to consider everything that’s happened, and let things breath a little before you react.

Take rejection personally 

After writing the perfect CV and giving the best interview you could, being rejected is still a possibility. The whole process can be very stressful, and it’s very easy to take things personally if you don’t get the job. However, an employer has made the decision to hire someone else based on many different factors, and none of them would have been personal.

At the end of the day an employer wants to hire who they feel is the right person for the job based on the CV, the interview they gave, and the skills and experience they have. It could be that you didn’t quite match up to their expectations, maybe came across a little too nervous during the interview, or didn’t quite have enough prior work experience in that particular area – but it certainly wasn’t personal.

Don’t let emotions cloud your ability to get back on the horse and try again. Try to obtain some feedback from the employer if you can as to why you didn’t quite make it, as this feedback could drastically improve your chances the next time around. Sometimes it may just be something simple that can be rectified or improved upon for next time.

Remember, there could literally be hundreds of applicants for just the one role, and even if you tick all the boxes and have qualifications and experience coming out your ears, the employer may be faced with choosing between 10 other people that are just as qualified. It can sometimes just come down to the numbers, so taking the rejection personally doesn’t make sense, and you have to keep a level head and move on to the next opportunity.

Keep contacting the employer

After you receive a rejection email or phone call, remember to reply with a professional response thanking them for the opportunity and their time. After you’ve done that don’t keep contacting the employer in an attempt to change their mind.

Once a decision has been made it’s extremely unlikely that your persistence will change their decision, and it will only serve to annoy the employer and possibly ruin any chances you may have had for a future vacancy.

It’s really important not to keep pestering them as there is a small chance that whoever they chose decides not to take the job in the end, and you might be the next in line for an offer. It’s not as uncommon as you might think for someone to be hired only to not show up or decline the offer a few days later.

Decline feedback 

One of the most valuable lessons you can learn from being rejected is learning from your mistakes and acting upon the feedback given. If the employer offers to provide you with feedback and you refuse, you are making a huge error. This feedback is vital if you want to continue to improve and find a job.

You could be making the same mistakes over and over, and refusing to listen to feedback is going to mean you could be unemployed for a very long time. Any feedback given by an employer should be seen as a positive, and most of the time it will be. It won’t all be bad, and the employer will very likely give you both the good and the bad.

The good feedback will help you to know what to keep doing, whilst the criticism will allow you to improve for next time. Be careful however not to just focus upon the good parts, as you don’t want to get ahead of yourself and assume you are doing everything right.

Assume you’re perfect 

Making the assumption that you are perfect and you don’t need to change is never going to get you anywhere. A wise person would always recognise that they are far from perfect and would always continue to develop and improve. Even the very best people in the world at their craft will continue to train and strive to learn new things and evolve.

Even if you have a perfectly written CV and gave an awesome interview, there is always something that you can improve upon. Keep reading, keep listening, and keep searching for new ways that could just give you an edge over your competition.

Check social media and keep up to date with the latest CV templates, job related articles and job interview techniques to ensure you are giving it your very best every time you apply and walk into an interview.

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