Rejection at any stage of the application process can be hard to deal with… but don’t let it defeat you!
Being turned down for an opportunity at any stage of an application process can be difficult to deal with, especially if this had been something that you really wanted. Rejection can affect you in a number of ways and it is completely understandable to feel upset about being unsuccessful. Unfortunately, rejection is part of the application process and it is therefore important that you acknowledge this and take the time to reflect on what has happened.
The first thing to remember is that there will be others in the same situation as you… the graduate jobs market is competitive and organisations will have plenty of well-qualified candidates to choose from. One option to identify what went wrong is to contact the organisation and ask for some feedback. Whilst this may not always be possible, it is worth asking as you can receive information on your performance that you can act on going forward – remember to always be constructive and polite and not to argue about the decision.
Whether you receive any feedback or not, it is important to think about what you have learned from the process. Your reflection will help you to improve going forward and you can use the rejection to build on your strengths and work on any areas for development. If you are not getting through a particular stage of the process (e.g. you are not getting interviews, or you get interviews but are not getting offers), you may want to reconsider what you have done and think about some of the following questions:
- Is your CV/ covering letter/application of good enough quality?
- Do you need to improve your interview style or technique?
- Is this the right opportunity for you? Do you have enough experience?
All of these points could be issues to address and/or improve and it is worth coming in to discuss this in more detail with one of our Careers Consultants. They can give you feedback on your applications, help you with your interview technique or give you support on how to move forward - book your appointment.