Job seeking can be a gruelling process. You’ll find plenty of perfect openings during your search and may even feel like you’re overqualified for the positions you apply for. However, most job searchers still take an average of 5 months.
During this time, you’ll face plenty of rejection. Some hiring managers will simply “ghost” you, while others will send a short, polite rebuff.
Maintaining a positive outlook during this time can be tricky. However, you need to keep your head held high if you want to land a job you love.
Budgeting
If you’re unemployed or searching for a new job, you’re probably stressed about money. This is entirely normal, as you don’t have money coming in but still need to pay bills and meet your financial obligations.
A good budget can help alleviate your financial stress during the job search and make rejection that much easier to handle. Start by putting aside an emergency fund to ensure you can pay your bills and necessary overheads during the job search. For most folks, an emergency fund should cover 3 to 5 months’ worth of expenses.
Next, learn how to save money on a tight budget. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions and try not to dine out unexpectedly. Plan a night out every week or month, and consider easing the financial burden by searching for coupons to help you save a few bucks. Try to lean on your personal network and see if you can borrow small items like a wrench or saw instead of buying them new.
A good budget ensures that you can sleep easily at night during your job search. This will make rejection that much easier to handle, as you aren’t financially dependent on landing a new job in the coming days or weeks.
Self-Esteem
Your self-esteem will take a knock during the job search. It’s impossible not to feel deflated when you don’t land a position that you felt well qualified for. However, you need to pick yourself up after rejection and find ways to improve your confidence.
You can improve your self-esteem by practicing positive self-talk and surrounding yourself with positive people. It’s all too easy to become self-critical during a tough job search, but you should avoid unproductive thoughts or comparisons to others. Instead, find support from people who love and cherish you for who you are.
You may want to visit a counsellor if you’re struggling with self-esteem issues. Much like therapists, counsellors are trained to help you improve your confidence. A good counsellor can help you deal with rejection and avoid symptoms of low self-esteem like fatigue, depression, and negative thought patterns.
Improving Your Applications
The supporting documents you send to hiring managers can make or break your application. Hiring managers see dozens of applications every day, so small typos or poorly organized CVs will land your application in the “rejection” pile.
Following a rejection, reach out to the prospective employer and ask them why you were unsuccessful. This may seem overly assertive, but gathering feedback is the only way to improve future applications. Oftentimes, hiring managers have specific reasons why they chose someone else’s application over your own. This kind of feedback can be invaluable during your job search. Try to improve your supporting materials between applications. You might, for example, rewrite your CV to account for AI scanning and machine learning algorithms. This will ensure that your application gets seen by human readers and increases your chances of landing a job.
Try to improve your skills while searching for a new job. Look for relevant online courses in your field, and consider enrolling in free digital classes. If you plan on working in the tech industry, consider learning a new programming language or acquainting yourself with a different operating system. This will show hiring managers that you are keen to learn and grow within the industry.Create a personal blog that shows off your skills, experience, and achievements. You can usually embed a link to this blog in your CV so recruiters can follow it easily. A personal blog is the perfect place to display your portfolio and shows hiring managers that you are tech-savvy and creative.
Post-Interview Rejection
Rejection following an interview is particularly difficult to bounce back from. You’ve gotten your hopes up and have researched the potential employer thoroughly. However, post-interview rejection is an entirely normal part of the application process and is something that most qualified candidates go through.
Try not to overanalyze your interview performance, but ask the hiring manager for interview-specific feedback. They should be able to give you detailed answers, as they spent considerable time considering your application.
Consider taking some time away from job applications following a post-interview rejection. You’ve probably spent a lot of time researching the company and considering your responses to potential questions. Taking a day or two away from job applications can renew your focus and help you return to applications with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose.
Conclusion
Rejection is a normal part of the job-seeking process. You’ll hear far more “no’s” than “yes’s” during your search but need to keep your head held high through it all. Alleviate some of your worries by creating a clear budget. If you have some money left over, consider taking online courses that will impress hiring managers and improve your application materials.
