It’s painful to be rejected after a job interview, even if you know that it’s a common experience that many people face every single day. If you can learn from the experience, you can turn your disappointment into something useful and positive.
At Liberty Staffing Services, we help employees find great jobs all the time, but it sometimes takes a few tries before someone finds their ideal employer/employee match. We always encourage our employees to reflect on the interview process after rejection and use the feedback to make improvements.
If you want our expert guidance on finding a job in Southern Ontario, let us know. Liberty Staffing is here to help–let’s talk.
Here are some ways you can use rejection to your benefit for your next interview.
Seek Constructive Feedback
If the interview ended on good terms, you may be able to reach out to the employer or the interviewer and request feedback on your performance. This takes some bravery, as you may end up hearing some criticisms of your performance – but knowing those criticisms can give you some things to focus on.
If it’s not possible to get feedback from the interviewer, seek guidance from a trusted friend, mentor, or colleague; ask for their feedback on what you remember saying, sharing, and doing in the interview. They may be able to point you in the right direction, even if they weren’t at the interview themselves.
Analyze Your Answers
Review your responses to the interview questions and identify areas where you could have provided better or more relevant answers.
Often, job candidates know if they failed to express themselves well on a question. Perhaps you weren’t expecting that particular question, or maybe you realized after the fact that you misunderstood what was being asked of you. Perhaps you got tongue-tied or lost your train of thought.
Identify the answers to questions that you identify as ineffective, and practice new answers to those questions if you were asked again. Now you know what kinds of questions you might be asked in an interview for this kind of position, so you use that knowledge to your advantage.
You can use rejection to your benefit by strengthening your answers for future interviews.
Update Your Resume and Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter that stands out is important for getting your foot in the door, and it gives your interviewer some information about you that they can use for their conversation. One way to have some control over what the interview looks like is to craft your cover letter so that it gives you and the interviewer something to talk about.
Based on the feedback you receive from a mentor or the interviewer, update your resume and cover letter to better highlight your qualifications and experiences relevant to the job.
If you find that the questions made it seem like they didn’t have a good idea of who you are, this is your opportunity to answer some of those questions in your application documents.
Practice, Practice, Practice
We can’t emphasize this enough: the more you practice, the more prepared you will be to ace your interview.
Research the company where you are applying next and familiarize yourself with the role. Then, practice questions out loud, enough times that the language becomes natural. You may not be able to predict every question that you are asked, but confidently practicing the questions you can expect is a great strategy.
Network and Build Connections
You may have heard that it’s “who you know.” Well, let’s make sure you know more people.
Interviewing with someone who knows you, or someone who knows a person who recommended you, is often far easier than interviewing with a total stranger. Leverage your professional network to learn about new job opportunities and gain insider knowledge about potential employers.
Stay Positive and Persevere
It can be easy to feel discouraged, but please don't give up. We encourage you to maintain a positive attitude and persevere in your job search.
It’s normal to face rejection before finding success, so don’t give up when you meet some challenges. Learn from the rejection and use it as motivation to improve.
Work with a Staffing Agency
Sometimes you just need someone on your side. A staffing agency can be your ally in your job search. Staffing professionals know how to help you polish that resume, practice interview questions, and improve your ability to find a great position.
Whether you’re looking for a temporary or permanent position, full time or part time, your support system at a staffing agency can help you find it. We know who is hiring before anyone else does. And if you are an entry level worker, we can be your professional network before you have had a chance to build your own.
Liberty Staffing Can Help You Use Rejection to Your Benefit
We know that rejection stings. Let’s make sure that you don’t have to feel that way again.
Our staffing experts in Southern Ontario know how to help you find a great job – fast. Reach out to us so that we can help you take the next steps toward a meaningful career in the industry of your choosing.
