Have you ever been so sure that you were going to get the job?
You prepared well, your CV looks great, you were friendly with the interviewer and they seemed to genuinely enjoy meeting with you?

Everything was geared up to you receiving that “welcome to the team” email or that “you got it” call from your recruitment agent,  but instead the subject line of the email in your inbox was something along the lines of “We regret to inform you” or “We are so sorry” or “They went with someone else.”

Suddenly, a sinking feeling is in the pit of your stomach. You didn’t get the job. Why didn’t you get the job? What went wrong? What could you have done differently?
Stop.

The fact is, a company is usually only looking for one candidate at a time to fill a specific role. Were you a great candidate? Yes, that’s why they gave you a shot in the first place.

Your experience and skills got you in the door, the recruitment agency saw potential in you as a good fit for the role, so no, there is nothing wrong with you, and there is nothing wrong with your application.

Unfortunately, being a great fit for the role doesn’t necessarily mean you were the best fit for the role.
Agencies submit batches of applications for review, those are then narrowed down and re-evaluated before one candidate is chosen to fill the vacancy.

This does not take away the disappointment, though.
According to psychology, rejection triggers the same part of the brain as physical pain, so it is completely understandable that facing professional rejection can be hurtful, too.
You may have been really excited about the role or have had a string of bad luck in your career of late and were relying on a break.

This is the hardest part of working in recruitment, disappointing people who you were rooting for.
In job hunting, as in life, we face constant disappointment.

It is important to develop the skills and strength of character to overcome these disappointments so that they don’t cause us to give up on our goals and dreams.

1. Feel Your Feelings

Disappointment is similar to grieving; you have to go through a process to allow yourself to let go of an idea you had in your head of how things should gave gone according to your wants.
There is no benefit in bottling up a natural reaction to disappointment. If you’re angry about the response, be angry, but let it out in a healthy way.
Doing a workout, throwing a ball, or even screaming into a pillow are helpful outlets for anger.
If you’re sad, write a letter about it to express your emotions. You can address it to the company, the agency, or even your future self – but please, don’t send it.
The point is to get your disappointment out in a non-destructive way, thus allowing yourself to move past the big feelings so that they don’t overwhelm you or cloud your logic. You can feel your emotions, but don’t live in them.

2. Don’t Take It Personally

Hiring decisions are often based on variables beyond your control.
Remember that the company is not rejecting you, they simply had to make the best choice they could with the knowledge they had available to them.
Whether or not they made the right decision is for them to deal with as time goes on.
The decline doesn’t mean you’re not skilled or capable—it simply means someone else was a better match for that specific role at that specific time.

3. Reframe It

Look at the decline as a simple redirection instead of a failure.
You very well may have done a great job in the role, which means you will do a great job in the role you are chosen for when the time is right. Try to avoid having tunnel vision on one company, because based on statistical analysis of the ratio of vacancies that fit your profile in comparison with those that don’t, the chances are that there are a lot of companies in need of a person with your experience. The “no” you may have received at this point does not define your worth by any means. Your job is still out there.

4. Seek Constructive Feedback

There is no rule against reaching out to the recruiter to request insight into the decision not to hire you. You may find that their response assists you in elevating your resume, responses or interactions for future opportunities. Nothing is wasted when you have the correct attitude and approach, and the “no” of today could propel you into tomorrow’s “yes”.

5. Never Give Up

Job seeking can be such a gruelling process, especially when good news is delayed by consistent declines. It is so important to keep yourself motivated, especially during difficult economical seasons. Rely on people who uplift you, continue to upskill yourself and remain positive to the best of your ability. Tough times do not last forever, even if it feels as though they are.

In conclusion, by maintaining an upbeat demeanour, expressing your emotions in a constructive way, protecting yourself from negative thoughts and building up a thick skin toward rejection, you will be able to endure this process and maintain the consistent discipline required to keep up with applications that will eventually bring about a successful employment opportunity when the time is right.