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I recently interviewed for a Manager of Water Quality position at the company I work for. My resume met the qualifications and more. The interview went well (not just my opinion, but the interviewers’ as well). As you’ve probably guessed based on the title of this blog post, I received a call letting me know that the hiring manager was hiring someone else. This person was from that group and has similar experience for the position. While I understood the decision to reward loyalty in the group, it was still disappointing to hear. Job rejection can be a painful experience, especially if it is a position that you highly covet. However, if you can be calm and collected during these interactions, you can transform job rejection into an opportunity for career growth. That way, the next time you apply for a desired job, you are better positioned for success.
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Job Rejection is Not a Reflection of Your Self Worth
I want to make this crystal clear for everyone who has been rejected for a job; your job and career don’t define your self worth. You are good enough and worthy of love and belonging with or without a fancy new position.
Job Rejection is Most Likely Not Personal
In most cases, the reason you didn’t get the job is unrelated to someone’s personal feelings about you. They picked the applicant that they felt met their highest priorities and could make their job easiest. In addition, sometimes people are chosen because they fit a company culture better than others. This is usually an objective (at least as objective as possible) selection, so there is no reason to be upset with the company, hiring manager, etc. If anything, this could be counterproductive later on in your career.
In the case in my story above, the hiring manager chose an applicant internal to the group who had ample experience and could hit the ground running faster than I could. Being able to immediately be up to speed on water regulatory matters and develop corporate strategy related to compliance for these regulations was the highest priority factor.
Ask for Specific Feedback
If you don’t get the job, the first thing you should do is investigate why you didn’t get it. This requires asking for and listening to feedback from the recruiter, hiring manager, and others on the interview team. Oftentimes, employers are reluctant to provide detailed information for fear of information being used against them. However, if you feel that the responses you are getting are superficial or generic, be prepared to probe deeper. Try to understand as well as possible why someone else was hired over you and what you could do, at least in the employer’s eyes, to improve your resume and yourself for future opportunities.
For the story above, I received great feedback from the hiring manager about why I wasn’t hired (again, internal hire). He also provided me with some advice related to career advancement. At the company I work for there are various committees, groups, etc. that form around companywide initiatives. I’ve been a member of some of these groups in the past, but he suggested that I push to be involved in more as this would give me greater exposure to folks in different parts of the company.
Review Feedback and Reflect
Once you have feedback, you need to review it and decide on what improvements can and should be made moving forward. For instance, if you hear that someone has a degree, license, or certifications that put them over the edge, you should evaluate whether obtaining that differentiator is something that you should do to be better eligible for opportunities moving forward.
For the story above, I reviewed the feedback and realized that while I had been going above and beyond in my own department, I hadn’t been pursuing cross-functional opportunities as much lately. This meant that I had good exposure to my immediate colleagues, but was a relative unknown in other parts of the company.
Build an Improvement Plan and Take Action
Compare feedback received during the job hunting process to feedback you’ve received elsewhere (coworker and boss feedback, performance appraisals, etc.). Any common weaknesses or issues should be evaluated during your reflection period. Also, review the job descriptions for positions that you are interested in pursuing moving forward. Are there any mandatory requirements that you don’t already meet or any nice-to-have requirements that you might consider pursuing? Use this comprehensive feedback and your evaluation of it to prepare an improvement plan.
An improvement plan can be as simple as a list of personality traits, skills, credentials, etc. as well as the plan for improving them and a deadline. A simple example might be obtaining a certification. You would add the certification to the list, how you plan to achieve it, and when you plan to achieve it by.
For the story above, I immediately started taking action on the feedback I received. I spoke to my management about being more involved in these cross-functional teams/committees and also asked the hiring manager if he would recommend me for any opportunities he came across (he agreed to do this). I plan to start being more assertive in inserting myself into these opportunities. Also, it doesn’t do you any good unless you execute at a high level, so I also plan to be selective about which opportunities I plan to pursue (high importance/high exposure opportunities).
Reconsider Your Job Criteria
Upon receiving feedback and reflecting on it, you may realize that the job wasn’t really a good fit. Whether it is the job itself (requirements, responsibilities, team, etc.), career trajectory for that position, work/life balance, company, or other reason, if after consideration you don’t think the job was right for you, it may be time to update the jobs you are pursuing. This gives you an opportunity to refine your job search to only include jobs that fit your discerning criteria.
Don’t Give Up
Everyone who has achieved something great knows that life doesn’t just hand you what you want, you have to take it. That means lots of trying and failing before you reach your goals. Your job search is no exception. If you work hard, are persistent, and continuously improving and growing, you’ll get that job offer and an opportunity to build or continue a burgeoning career.
Have you had a job rejection that was an opportunity in disguise?
What advice do you have for someone who has recently been rejected for a job?