Coping with Rejection

Job-hunting, particularly when you are out of work and need the job, can be most depressing. You start with all the confidence in the world, but as you receive each rejection- and you will be rejected, no matter how good you are- you're likely to feel doubts about your personal ability. Then you'll find any excuse to put off that first phone call. Before long, its not just a day, it’s a week, then a month. And so on.

You can't afford to allow yourself to fall into this quagmire of rejection. You can't  afford to allow your self-esteem to drop because just when you've given up, a real opportunity will arise. If you don’t stay 'up' and positive, you wont be able to seize it.

The job market is highly competitive, there are usually many applicants for any job, and new employers are selective. Often the decision isn't against you, but for someone else who  was simply a better 'fit'. That’s why it's so important to get feedback: to understand why you might have been rejected, learn from your experience, and improve your approach- assuming that’s the reason you didn't get the job offer.

If you receive too many rejections you might have to accept you are going about it the wrong way:

• Maybe the job market has changed. Get some input from people who work in your field. What skills are they currently looking for? What background?
• How are you labelling yourself? Do a bit of research. Lets take a simple example: a typist. If you talked to five employers they would probably say: "We haven't employed a typist for years; what we have now are word processing operators". A similar skill has just been repackaged so you need to make sure your skills are recognized in a way that benefits you.
• If you've been unemployed for a while, check your approach. Perhaps it's time to change your tack, apply for different sorts of jobs in a different way.
• Be careful about getting into a set pattern. If something is not working, don’t keep doing it.
• If you've been getting negative responses to your resume, and then suddenly two people want to talk to you, find out what you did differently and repeat it.
• Having numerous and new irons in the fire can keep you quietly optimistic. Always make sure something new is happening to keep you focused on tomorrow rather than yesterday.

Remember your consultant is a great source of information. We are constantly educating ourselves, and are kept updated with issues relating to the job market. We are happy to provide information regarding resumes or any questions relating to recruitment. Temporary work allows you to keep your skills refreshed while searching for permanent work, while also learning new tasks, or simply just keeping you in work to prevent gaps in your working history on your resume.  

 Source: 'Getting That Job' Morgan and Banks

Always remember your consultant can be a great source of information and is here to help you achieve your job seeking goals – therefore feel free to contact us at any time with any of your questions. (02) 9570 2411