Wednesday 10 September 2014

Workforce Wednesday // Using your rejection


It's never fun to be rejected - not in any way, and certainly not when it comes to jobs. While I was having coffee with a friend, she told me this ingenious tip, which has change my view on rejections:

"I use my rejections as a jumping-off point and a conversation starter with the company."

Ok, so it can be slightly intimidating in itself to phone up a company. To use your rejection as an excuse can be even worse. But in my experience it really works!

After receiving this tip I started calling to get feedback on my application and resume. I also asked what kind of people the company had chosen for the job interview. Suddenly my rejections turned from a feeling of defeat to a more positive experience. I got helpful feedback and learned that I wasn't rejected because I had terrible skills (or was a horrible person) but because other candidates were simply a better match. Later on this approach has landed me several network meetings, and even a fixed-term job.

Using my rejections as a jumping-off point has turned my rejected job applications from wasted work to a good learning experience. If you have any advice about rejection, please share it. I would love to know!

photo via careers.theguardian.com

No comments:

Post a Comment