by randy place
After rejection, what’s an interviewee to do? Remember the old adage – “When somebody hands you a lemon, turn it into a lemonade.”
Rejection after interviews won’t feel so bad when you turn the rejection into a networking opportunity. “Today’s rejection can be tomorrow’s offer letter,” says recruiter Lindsey Olson in a printed report.
Even though you’ve been turned down, you’ve invested time in developing a contact – the hiring manager who was dumb enough to hire somebody else. So why drop that contact? To stay in touch with that person can put you on an inside track for the next opening.
After you’ve been turned down, thank your contact for the opportunity of interviewing for the job and ask if she would like you to stay in touch. If the answer is yes, checking in with a company from time to time gives you three benefits –
- You might learn of a new opening in advance of its posting.
- You will remind your prospect that you’re interested in the company continues.
- You might be referred to a contact outside the company
“Your candidacy can remain intact when you handle rejection professionally by keeping open the lines of communication. And, as mentioned earlier, you might learn of a future opening within or without the firm.
Some job hunters feel like isolating after being turned down. Yet, beating yourself up or obsessing over rejection causes self-doubt, which will come across at interviews. This hurts your chances of being hired.
Keeping on keeping on with contacts who have turned you down lets you continue maintaining visibility. And that’s one of the big payoffs of turning lemons into lemonades.
Click here to read, “Rejection after interviews and how to cope with it,” part one of this series about coping with rejection on Your Career Service.
