It's normal to feel disappointed when you don't get an offer from your dream company. But there's always something to learn from the experience. Maybe you didn't do as well as you hoped in the interview. Or maybe the company wasn't a good fit for you. Either way, you can use what you've learned to improve your chances of success in future interviews.
Why does rejection happen?
As soon as you receive a phone call or email notifying you of the rejection, you begin investigating the cause. The answer might be challenging if the person on the other end of the line doesn't give you any clues. Several factors might have prevented you from getting an offer:
They had a "better" candidate.
Different does not always mean better, but it can be an asset. If a job posting and the candidates interviewed do not meet the standards needed, it may be because the skills required are not obvious. Hiring managers sometimes realize they need different skills or experience than they originally thought. The candidate's skills and capabilities may fit perfectly with what the manager is looking for, but there are always intangible qualities that cannot be measured. These could be things like a product manager who has worked on a unique project or someone who is always curious about the world around them. If another candidate demonstrates these qualities during the interview process, they may be "better" because they can bring value in a different way.
Your qualifications didn’t match the job description.
Even if you may have all the required skills and experience, the hiring manager needs to know how you'll use them in this particular job. Instead of concentrating on the real job description, too many people worry about making sure they talk about their successes. To assist the hiring manager see how you can contribute to the team and business, you must clearly comprehend the job and explain how you would apply your talents and abilities to it. When you're applying for a job, it's important to make sure that you understand the role and can articulate how you would apply your skills and experience to it. Too many people focus on their accomplishments without considering how they would fit into the role they're applying for. Understanding the role and being able to explain how you would excel in it is essential to impressing the hiring manager and getting the job.
You don't fit in with the culture.
It's okay if you don't fit perfectly into the company culture! Every company is different. For example, if you're used to making unilateral decisions but the company you're interviewing with makes all decisions through consensus, you may become frustrated quickly. The hiring manager wants to hire someone who will fit in with the team or company culture. While you may assume you can adjust to your surroundings, the hiring manager will forecast your performance based on how you explain your work style and preferences during the interview. If they don't think you'd fit in with the team or the general corporate culture, there's little you can do.
The job's terms changed.
If you're in the process of interviewing for a job and you hear about changes at the company that could affect the job you're interviewing for, it's important to ask the hiring manager about those changes. You don't want to find out after you've accepted an offer that the job you thought you were getting is no longer the same job. Asking about changes shows that you're interested in the position and want to make sure you have all the information you need to make a decision about whether or not to accept an offer.
The position was put on hold.
In these economic times, companies are having to change their hiring strategies. Many roles that were previously open are now on hold, or the company may have stopped interviewing altogether. In some cases, offers that had been made were rescinded, leaving the employee without a job before they even started. It's important to remember that this is not personal and is simply a reflection of the business's need to reset itself.
Learning from rejection
Rejection can be tough to deal with, especially when you don't know why you were rejected. It's important to remember that rejection is not a reflection of your skills or capabilities. Here are some strategies for moving on after rejection:
Understand that no job can ever be perfect.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype of a job or company based on what we read or hear about them. However, it's important to remember that no company or job is perfect.
If you've ever been rejected for a position, use it as a reminder to reset your expectations and look for deeper qualities in a prospective employer. Ask questions during your next interview that will help you determine whether a company will take your growth seriously and how the organization evaluates and respects its personnel. This will provide you with a more realistic perspective of the firm and assist you to avoid getting caught up in the excitement.
Think about your values.
When we’re desperate to find a job, we often take any job that we can find. However, this isn’t always the best decision. We should take a step back and reflect on the job we didn’t get. This will help us determine if the job truly aligned with our values. If it didn’t, then we can keep searching for a job that will be more fulfilling.
Improve your interviewing skills.
The interview process is a great opportunity to practice your interviewing skills and refine your messaging for future job interviews. After going through a few interviews, I realized that my answer to the question "Why do you want to make the change?" needed some work. I was simply saying "I want to help people," but I didn't really get into why that was important to me or how it fits into the role of HR. After doing some research and thinking about how I could better articulate my answer, I was able to land the job. So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, take some time to think about how you can refine your answer or change your message completely.
Consider feedback.
If you can get feedback from your interviewer, you can use it to improve your next interviews. This is a third party's perspective on how you were perceived in the short time they interacted with you. Even if you don't agree with the feedback or it doesn't seem accurate, consider the 2% rule: What if 2% of it was true? Use the feedback to improve your skills or change your interview approach.
Develop your resilience.
The more you're rejected, the more you'll learn to recover from disappointment. After finding out you didn't get the job, figure out what kind of self-care you require. For example, you could do an activity you're great at and enjoy, like bowling, drawing, or exercising. Knowing how you feel at that time and what it takes to go ahead will provide you with a formula you can use whenever you fail.