Finding Meaningful Work at 70: Day Twenty-Six

Strategies for handling rejection are must-haves for any successful career search plan. Maintaining a positive, optimistic attitude throughout the ups and downs of being in the applicant arena can be a daunting challenge, especially if you’re additionally stressed with tapping into your financial reserves or if the emotional anxiety accompanying a job loss clouds your entire life outlook. I’ve been there personally as well as worked through these same issues with clients. I am a big proponent of seeking emotional and financial help from professionals trained in those areas when things test your ability to cope and no one should be ashamed or reluctant to ask for help. Not asking for it can lead to more problems. For less severe frustrations accompanying career searching, there are ways to deal with use rejection to your benefit that will actually advance your opportunities for success.

The easiest advice to give and often the hardest to accept is not taking it personally. Not getting an interview or going through a series of interviews and not receiving an offer can be frustrating, it can hurt, you can be inclined to feel unworthy and hopeless. However, it’s not an indication of your professional worth or value to a prospective employer.  Unless the decision-maker tells you why you were not hired, you may never know the real reason. Not all employers will be forthcoming in sharing feedback if you don't get the job but there’s no harm in asking. On the one hand, you might not like what you hear while on the other you’ll benefit from constructive feedback. Use whatever information you can get and learn from it. As tough as it can be to review a negative outcome, be willing to use it to your advantage to increase your future success.

Be wary of an emotional “the sky is falling” reaction that colors your overall attitude to the job search, the industry, and not just the people closest to you but future recruiters, hiring managers, and even strangers. One reaction to a rejection can be a lashing out at anything and everything. Acknowledge your frustration, control the one of part of your job search you can: YOU, and stay in perpetual forward motion so that all of your talents, abilities, and achievements are positively positioned and communicated.

A job interview is created by an employer because they feel you are a candidate that comes with the needed credentials to help solve a problem. It’s not for getting your need for professional validation met. Your focus should be totally and completely on how your experience, skills, education, and abilities can help the employer; not the other way around. If you need the interview to affirm your self-worth, you're on track to experience disastrous results. Check in with yourself before the interview so that your goals for the interview outcomes are aligned with the employer’s needs and expectations.

For older workers, the extra years of career experience may make the search for meaningful work even more challenging because of ageism. Younger candidates with fewer skills may actually be more attractive because of the comparatively lower sticker price to bring them on-board. If you think being overqualified may be an interview objection you’ll encounter, be prepared to sell your fit for the role. Employers often are reluctant to hire older candidates out of fear that they are not on top of the latest technology. Be sure to communicate how technology proficient you are in your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and interviews. Just last week I experienced this employer comment: “We’re looking for someone to grow into this role.” That’s a hiring manager’s playbook communication that the candidate has fewer future rungs on their career ladder and is disguised ageism. You may not look your age (ah, lucky you!) but resume dates can be a source of bias and become more important than achievements and experience. The good news? You’ve now eliminated a prospective employer before you had to experience a culture that doesn’t value what you bring to the table.

Have courage to stay in the thick of the search. Be proud of your career and your achievements. Bring your confidence to the interview table. Be your own professional career PR person and work continuously to refine your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. Build your house of opportunity on the foundation of your achievements. Stay positive when anger is the easier response. Smile when it's the hardest thing in the world to do.

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Garrison Leykam is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC), Forbes contributor, and author of Audacious at Any Age based upon his presentation at The Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT.