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How to recover from multiple rejections during job search

Ivy136·Jan 22, 2022

Hi Everyone,

I left my former position last month to focus on interviews and find a job that better aligned with my future career goals.

I felt like I was doing everything right - I had more than a handful of interviews lined up in the past couple of weeks after the start of the new year.

However, none of the opportunities have panned out; I am exhausted and back to square one. I've gotten a string of rejections in a row and it's like a punch in the gut.

How do I pick myself back up and get the motivation to keep going?

I also think I need to do some port mortem and evaluate if there is anything I could have done differently. (Or, maybe it wasn't me, it was them?)

Thanks for any advice you can share!

Iynna·Jan 22, 2022

It is so so so difficult I get it ! However, to me a mindset shift needs to happen, REJECTION IS PROTECTION!Something is out here is there for you! Please keep putting yourself out there and see it as a warmup, if anything!! Also one month is really recent so it's great that you are applying to roles and learning more about the market! You got this! And let us know how Elpha can help - we got you! :-)

c1ara·Jan 23, 2022

@Ivy136 thanks for sharing how you’re feeling. Job searching is tough, even if you’re only a month in, it can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. I’m on my own job search journey now also, so do really empathize. Even with a decade of sales experience, rejection of any sort is never a great feeling - especially when it’s for a role you were excited about, and worse when you’ve progressed through a number of rounds of interviews for it.If you’re able, perhaps take some time, maybe a day, a couple of days or few, and have a break - away from the laptop/computer/emails and do the things you love, hike, ski, read, cook, play games? Give yourself a chance to mentally and emotionally refresh. And then take a fresh look at your resume, application style and get back to the search.Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat or think I could be of help.

teresaman·Jan 23, 2022

In case you haven't already, check out this thread https://elpha.com/posts/uee4ijbz/burnout-from-the-burnout-to-burnout-from-the-job-search by @njokimaina !

annietai·Jan 24, 2022

Hey Ivy, So sorry to hear about the multiple rejections, I know its hard to not take things personally and feel down about it. However, as someone who has been recruiting for the last couple of years, I know for certain that there are MANNNY things out of your control when it comes to getting a job, even if you aced your interview (I know, it fully sucks). It would definitely be a good idea still do to a port morten and see if there is anything you can do differently still, whether it be resume, or interview practice or how you are approaching the search. I do career coaching on the side if you are curious or open to chat more! :) Annie

annekevictorica·Jan 24, 2022

Hey Ivy, that's really tough. A few things :)- Remind yourself that a month isn't that long. - I've recruited for many positions and there are so many variables that inform how a finalist is selected and a "no" is not necessarily indicative of something lacking or a mistake or weakness in your application or interview. A lot of times it's a matter of alignment with what that organization needs in that role at that specific time. - Ask for feedback! When I was asked by an applicant why they didn't advance in the recruitment process I tried to give honest, actionable feedback. I think it's not realistic to ask feedback on every CV you send but if you reached the interview stage then you're part of a smaller pool of candidates who the hiring manager should have time to respond to. Try to make it clear from your request that you are genuinely open to constructive feedback. Then try to compare the feedback you get and see what is actionable. - Do a mini audit of the jobs you've been applying for (how many, how much time are you spending on them, how excited are you about them, etc). I find people tend to go broad when they should go deep. Focus on a few dream roles and leave the rest. That will give you time to revise your CV for each process, craft the perfect cover letter, research the employer, and do in-depth interview prep. There's no way that you can do that in a customized way when you're applying for a lot of jobs. - Perhaps hard to do in light of the last bullet but try to not get your hopes up. I know this is so hard but I try to do a sort of meditation for myself where I visualize myself 1) getting the thing I want and 2) being OK if/when I don't get it. I find the sweet spot is thinking about something in a way that drives me forward but not so hard that I drive off a cliff if it doesn't work out.Feel free to reach out if you're looking for more in-depth support around career advancement or specific job search prep. It can be tough but you've got this!

nhusseini·Jan 24, 2022

This can be really hard to deal with, I have just moved on to a new role after looking for about 4 months. It took a while, and it took a lot of strength to keep going for sure, I can empathise. The one thing that helped me through was understanding that actually it's nothing personal- think of it like a sales pipeline. You've got to have a few leads constantly on the go and until you've signed an offer you don't give that up. I recommend about 3 applications a day from Tuesday to Thursday in the beginning (if of course there are so many roles in your domain). While in the process, remember that some places have their own reasons for not hiring you- and frankly you are interviewing them too. For eg, if they take you all the way to the last round and then don't even have the decency to email or call but send their response with a no-reply address (happened to me)- would you really want to work in such a place anyways? There are also so many reasons that have nothing to do with you- they used the wrong software so your CV doesn't have the right "keywords" (problematic), they didn't look at your CV in enough detail (I put my hobbies for icebreakers that the good ones use to show me they've done their homework- the company I am going to made a tremendous effort to highlight the hobbies), they have hired internally but just wanted to show that there are no better qualified out there for made up x, y, z reasons; you're too expensive and they don't want to admit it or they don't want to pay more for the role.....A lot of the times we are in love with an image of a company but we don't realise that actually we barely know it. And the same for them. They don't know you, it's really nothing personal. You'll eventually find the right one to move to, for the right pay, with the right team that will help you grow. Trust the process- that you're going to the best next company for you and you may not know which one that is yet.