Dealing with Rejection

This week, I was reminded of that roller-coaster of emotions we sometimes go through when we see a job opportunity that's exactly what we're looking for (euphoria, elation, jubilation) and then apply for the job (motivation, hope, desire), just to find out that we're not going to get that job (sadness, anguish, sorrow).

It was particularly difficult for me to find out that many people were interested in a job link I had posted – not as a hiring manager or anyone in a position of authority but simply to inform my friends, contacts and connections that there was a job opening for a much-coveted position with a company that's on my résumé. Within hours, I had received countless "connection requests" and inquiries to review résumés and online portfolios of qualified candidates. During the same timespan, the job posting was removed on the third-party website on which I took a screenshot of it hours earlier.

For those who were fortunate to catch the job listing before it disappeared and were able to apply for the position: I wish you best of luck. For anyone else who contacted me in the hopes that I could perform miracles for them, my apologies, but I simply can't. * And to those who have applied but won't be chosen for a screening interview or more: I do know from experience how you might feel.

To those who will be screened by HR or someone other than the hiring manager, I wish you best of luck. Remember, this is only one position, and most likely several hundred people have applied for it. It's a numbers game. Perhaps a dozen résumés will be considered for screening calls. Then the pool of potential candidates will shrink to a handful of people (if that many). And out of those, one person will get a job offer, unless something happens and the company can't hire a new employee and has to rescind the job offer (which is happening more frequently than I want to believe).

In other words, some qualified human beings will get rejected, and you might be one of them. If you're fortunate, you will get notified in writing, and I would hope that the rejection letter or email will at least be professional and somewhat friendly.

Of course, it's easy to tell you that it's not you. There will be other opportunities, and most likely better ones, coming along. However, right now, in the moment, it stinks. You're convinced that you are qualified. You applied on time. You think you did everything right.

Remember that there are many reasons why an employer may reject a job application. Treat each rejection as a learning opportunity.

And yet, as I hinted at earlier, there are dozens of reasons why you didn't get picked as the final candidate. Here are some common reasons why (and, again, don't take it personally but see if there's anything you can learn from):

Résumé did not make it past the ATS: Many job applications are trashed before they are even looked at by human eyes. Most large organizations these days use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter the résumés they receive. These tracking systems are designed to scan your résumé for specific keywords that are set by the recruiter or hiring manager in charge. Then they grade your résumé based on how well the match is and discard all the résumés that did not score high enough. A few ways to make it past the ATS are to use the industry’s keywords from the job description, have a neat format and use a sans serif font.

Conditions beyond your control: Sometimes there are factors, such as a culture misfit, internal employees being considered, or the job requirements changing at the last minute that could have nothing to do with your qualifications on paper. On certain occasions, it may even come down to a personality fit. Certain personality traits may just be a better fit with the hiring manager in question. At one time, that may work in your favor and at others, not so much.

Under-or-over-qualified or experience interpreted as exaggerated: Did you ensure that you truly meet all the criteria listed in the job requirement? Do you have sufficient experience to handle the role? If you do not, your application will be discarded by the ATS. And, in case one human being thinks you chose to exaggerate in your résumé, it will be a completely subjective choice by one individual to reject your application. Recruiters always run background checks on shortlisted candidates for any discrepancies in qualifications and experience. When your lie is exposed, you can forget about any future chances of employment with the particular recruiter.

You didn’t highlight your transferable skills: A persuasive cover letter can save you from the rejection pile, but you’re not out of the woods yet. As Matthew Warzel, a certified recruiter and president of MJW Careers, explains, hiring managers are looking for candidates who can seamlessly transition into the new role. If your experience doesn’t exactly match the job description, then you must highlight your transferable skills on your résumé and LinkedIn profile. Using buzzwords and keywords for that industry will also help if they’re using ATS. Warzel suggests backing up a strong summary and skills section with a list of accomplishments, including relevant coursework. He gives an example of a teacher trying to transfer into a corporate/marketing role. However, he warns against adding too much “fluff.” Here’s what he said:

“They may be able to discuss training, performance reviews and documentation handling. Maybe some sentences communicating his or her ability to handle branding and advertising from some tasks he or she completed in school.”

If it’s not clear to the hiring team how your skills will translate to the new job, you’ll have to endure another job application rejection. This is when it can be helpful to follow up with the recruiter. Politely ask if they can suggest improvements that could increase your chances of getting hired for a future vacancy. Hopefully, you will get a response that will help you tailor your résumé for the next opportunity.

You didn’t follow application directions: If you’ve been job hunting even for a short time, you’ve likely seen many job ads that vehemently urge candidates to follow directions. According to David Reischer, the hiring manager at LegalAdvice.com, applicants often fail to provide the required writing samples or other requested documentation. Reischer says:

“It is an easy decision to make, to disqualify a person for demonstrating that they do not care enough to follow directions of our application process.”

Natalie Morgan, HR Director at CareerPlug concurs. Hiring managers are specifically evaluating your attention to detail, a highly valued skill for employers. In her experience, candidates may be asked to reply to an email to verify their receipt, but many never reply, thus losing their chance at a job very early in the hiring process. This is one of the simplest rejections to avoid. Once you’ve filled out the application and tailored your résumé, re-read the instructions. Employers may specify the subject line for an email, ask for a cover letter or even include a code word to verify you’re paying attention. A few extra minutes of reviewing can save you a lot of heartache over missed opportunities.

Near the bottom of this page are several links to websites that go into much more detail and list many more reasons why job applicants get rejected.

No Tunnel Lasts Forever (as far as I can tell from personal experience)

When pursuing a new job or the career of your dreams, rejection is a natural part of the process. It can be discouraging, but it's important to remember that rejection is not a reflection of your worth or abilities. Instead of avoiding rejection, embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Here are some tips to help you build a resilient mindset and keep moving forward:

• Take risks: Playing it safe may seem like the easy option, but it won't help you achieve your goals. Embrace the uncertainty and take risks that will help you grow.
• Keep a positive attitude: When faced with rejection, it's easy to feel negative and defeated. Instead, try to stay positive and focus on what you can learn from the experience.
• Learn from rejection: Use rejection as an opportunity to learn and grow. Ask for feedback and use it to improve your skills and approach.
• Keep things in perspective: Remember that rejection is not the end of the world. Keep things in perspective and focus on your long-term goals.
• Stay resilient: Building resilience takes time and practice. Keep pushing forward and don't give up on your dreams.

By embracing rejection and learning how to handle it, you can build a resilient mindset that will help you achieve your goals. Who knows? Next time it could be you turning down a job offer or cutting out a toxic work environment.

Who am I to give you advice about rejection?

Even though I frequently get approached by others about my career, mentoring and helping with job searches, I have dealt with my own share of rejections, layoffs, depression, times of unemployment and starting all over from scratch (more than once). One thing I have learned so far is that attitude matters. Of course, each one of us is different and has different coping mechanisms. For me, the best way forward has always been to immerse myself 100 percent in learning, pro-active job searching, improving life skills and professional knowledge...in other words, focusing on anything but the rejections and all the negativity that comes with unemployment or unwelcome changes in life. In the words of my coach, "You know what the happiest animal on earth is? It's a goldfish. You know why? It's got a 10-second memory." 🌟 I hope you get the gist of it, and I wish you all good things in every aspect of your life.

*Aside from the logistics of finding out who the hiring manager might be in a company with 300,000+ employees and about 17 different UX Design departments throughout the organization, I cannot possibly keep track of every job opening in my area of expertise. I also wouldn't have been notified of the job opening if it had anything to do with hiring managers I don't know or don't frequently contact. Sometimes, co-workers would tell me about a job opening they saw on the company careers website, while I am doing all I can to meet my deadlines, keep my fellow designers busy and happy, and work on my performance metrics.

Resources

✅ Reasons why job applicants get rejected:

✅ How to deal with rejection:

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