Didn't Get the Job? Here's How to Recover and Go Again
You got to the interview stage; you made it through to the final two – you were so confident that you had it in the bag. The signs were positive; the hiring managers made all the right noises, and you just felt it was your lucky day.
And then you hear the words, "We decided to go in a different direction," and your heart sinks. It goes into freefall for a few minutes, and you begin to question how it all went wrong. Was it something you said? Did you not have the proper skill set? What could it have been?
The chances are, you've been there. Not getting a job that you wanted is pretty disheartening, to say the least. But when the number of candidates far outweighs the number of roles on offer, the reality is that there'll always be degrees of disappointment in the hunt for a new job.
We're here to tell you how to recover from these setbacks, dust yourself down, and get back on the horse again. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.
1. Allow Yourself to Grieve for What Might Have Been
One of the most important things to do is to acknowledge and allow yourself to feel the negative emotions you're feeling. It's frustrating to find out you haven't got a job, and pretending that it isn't will lead to feelings of sadness and frustration bottling up.
Allowing yourself to experience negative emotions is human, healthy, and natural. It will ensure that there is no residual mental baggage when you return to looking for the next job opportunity.
The important thing is to set yourself a 'mourning period'. You don't want to wallow in the negativity for too long, so give yourself one to two days to feel whatever feelings have come to the surface following the unfortunate news, and then commit yourself to leaving it behind and moving on.
2. Ask for Feedback from the Hiring Manager
It can be easy to avoid the feedback step from an interview or application when you're already feeling fragile after not getting the job. And it's understandable to an extent; when you're feeling low, who wants to read criticism (even if it is constructive)?
However, getting feedback can prove so beneficial, helping illuminate areas where you could improve or that the hiring manager felt were lacking. It's an excellent opportunity to take something positive from what might otherwise be seen as a wholly negative experience.
There's an additional benefit, too, in that asking for feedback reflects well on you as a candidate, and should the same company ever be hiring again, you're more likely to linger in the memory as someone proactive, eager, and keen to learn, which stands you in better stead to be successful the second time around.
3. Take a Moment to Evaluate What Went Well
Framing unsuccessful job applications or interviews as a learning opportunity rather than a failure helps ensure a more sustainable job search. If your quest for employment is just one unrelenting series of knock backs, you will quickly become disillusioned with the entire process.
On the other hand, if you take each interview opportunity and, regardless of whether you get the position or not, take it as a chance to see where you did well, then you'll build confidence for the following interview you have.
It also helps you narrow down exactly what you might need to work on. If, upon reflection, you came across confidently in your interview, then working on your conversational skills probably isn't necessary.
4. Avoid Overanalysing
Ultimately, unless you get the employer's feedback, you won't know why you didn't get the job. Even if you are provided with constructive feedback, it won't detail every last reason you didn't successfully secure the position.
Overanalysing the events of an interview roots you in the past rather than taking action-oriented steps grounded in the present moment. The fact is that if you didn't get the position, no amount of ruminating or dwelling on it is going to magically take you back to the interview so that you can try again.
Assess how it went, congratulate yourself on the good and learn from what was lacking, but then move on – it can't be stressed how important this is.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
When we experience setbacks, self-compassion often goes out of the window. But this is precisely when we need to be kind to ourselves most.
Remember that your overall sense of worth is independent of whether you secure a job role or not. Sure, getting the position would've been nice, but you're no less of a person because you didn't.
So, be kind and gentle with yourself, and remind yourself just how much you offer regardless of the fact that you didn't succeed where you wanted to on this occasion.
We know how much harder it is to be kind to yourself than to other people, but treating yourself with kindness will help keep you feeling even-keeled and positive in the longer term.
Ready to Start the Job Search, Again?
If you've experienced a setback but are ready to try for another job, Sanctuary Personnel is here to help. Offering a wide array of healthcare and social care jobs, we're bound to have something suitable for you. The question is, what are you waiting for?
