How To Stay Motivated After Job Hunt Rejection

As recruiters, if you were to ask us what the one thing is that we like the least in our jobs, it’s rejecting candidates! It’s never easy, and the last thing we want to do is crush anyone’s confidence or dreams! Unfortunately though, our clients’ can’t take on everyone and that means that rejection is a large part of the process!

So with this in mind accepting that rejection is going to happen and knowing how to bounce back after it is key to ensure you carry on and keep applying! It’s important to remember that even some of the top skilled and most experienced professionals once dealt with rejection of some kind!

So just how do you keep going even when the going gets tough? Well our team have put together our Top Ten Tips for Handling Rejection to keep you motivated, engaged and moving forward whilst you search for that dream role!

1. Firstly it is important to remember that it isn’t personal, so let’s start by taking the emotion out of it!
2. Always be prepared for both scenarios and if you are rejected have some follow up questions to ensure you receive full and constructive feedback.
3. Remember to still thank them for feedback and for the opportunity, and let them know you remain keen to work for them – you never know if something might come up in the future!
4. Use this as an opportunity to learn and grow! Put together a plan of the skills you want to develop going forward based on any feedback you've received so that next time you can give stronger examples of why you would be great for the role. You can read more about upskilling here.
5. Always remember how awesome you are! Getting to the interview stage is still a HUGE success and this should be celebrated! Take it from us – recruiters see a lot of CVs, so the fact that your application has stood out is brilliant!
6. If you are rejected before getting an interview, then it’s time to get working on your cover letter and CV, ensuring it is as tailored to the role and company as possible, why not check out our Podcast on how to put together a standout application!
7. Don’t be deterred and always find the positives. Interviews are always great practice no matter the outcome and you’ll probably find you get better at answering competency based questions and perfecting your elevator pitch!
8. Take a moment to revaluate your goals and job search strategy! Ask yourself - are you applying for the roles most suited to your skills? Could you widen your job search at all? Is it a particularly competitive area?
9. Remember – particularly in publishing – it’s a small world, so always leave a positive impression on everyone you meet as they could get in touch about other opportunities! Utilise LinkedIn to stay connected and continue building your professional profile and relationships.
10. Never be afraid to try again! You’ve got this! That perfect role is just around the corner so don’t give up and keep moving forwards.

Now with that last point in mind, why don’t you head over to our jobs page and APPLY NOW! We’d love to hear from you, and even if it’s not right this time, don’t give up, you’ve got this! So keep going!

If you are looking to kickstart or further your publishing career then do be sure to get in touch with our specialist team! We love meeting with all the brilliant publishing talent out there and supporting you with the next steps in your career! You can also explore all our latest vacancies and apply for roles today right here!

We always want to make sure we are producing and sharing the best content for our candidates and clients, so if there is a topic you would like us to share our expertise on within our library please get in touch with us by emailing info@inspiredselection.com and we'll be happy to help!