#JobSearch : What Career Rejection Leaves Behind and How to Move Forward. Steps to Get On with Your Life & Career. Great Read!
There’s something uniquely sharp about career rejection. Even when it comes in a form email, with boilerplate language and no signature, it manages to feel personal. You spend weeks prepping for the interview, tailoring your cover letter, rehearsing your answers out loud while pacing your kitchen. Then all at once, it’s over. No explanation. Just the dry thud of a door quietly closing somewhere you thought you might belong.
With all that is done and said, here are some steps you can consider to assist you in moving on with your life and career.
Accept That the Silence Is Its Own Response
Most companies don’t offer clean closure. If they say anything at all, it’ll be vague, often automated, and sometimes late. And yet, part of you might still wait by your inbox, clinging to the hope that someone will reach out with insight or an apology. That day rarely comes. At some point, you’ll have to move on without the comfort of resolution, and that’s when things get real. You don’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt, but you do have to choose whether that silence becomes an ending or just a pause.
Separate Your Craft From the Verdict
One of the hardest things to do is not to take it personally. But that’s exactly what you have to learn. Your body of work doesn’t change because one panel of interviewers decided to go another direction. They don’t know the full scope of what you bring, how you manage a team in chaos, how you handle deadlines with no safety net. They saw one version of you, at one point in time, and it didn’t click. That’s their decision, not your worth.
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Article continued …
Don’t Let the Spiral Dictate the Story
Rejection doesn’t just bruise your ego; it warps your thinking if you let it. You might start questioning all the roads you’ve taken to get here, wondering if you’ve been lying to yourself about your capabilities. That line of thought is dangerous. It turns one lost opportunity into a referendum on your entire career. That’s the trap. Step outside that mental loop and remind yourself that you’re not looking for certainty, you’re just trying to get to the next good thing.
Get Comfortable Not Knowing Why
The truth is, you may never find out what tipped the scales. Maybe you reminded someone of their ex. Maybe they had an internal candidate all along. Maybe it was close, and they went with the person who lived two miles closer to the office. The hiring process is full of variables you’ll never see. That doesn’t make the rejection meaningless, but it does make it less personal. You don’t have to solve the mystery to move on from it.
Make the Most of That Weird, Empty Space
There’s a strange kind of quiet after rejection. Not just externally, but internally too. The days that follow might feel blurry and stretched, like time is happening in slow motion. That’s not just disappointment; it’s the gap between what you thought would happen and what actually did. Use it. Write things down. Think clearly. This is often the only time you’ll be able to reassess without the pressure of chasing something immediate.
Reinvest in Learning to Reinvent Your Path
When doors keep closing, going back to school can be a way to push forward instead of waiting around. Online degree programs let you learn at your own pace and on your own schedule, which makes them easier to work into real life. You can choose from a range of options to match your field, whether that’s marketing, data science, or programs in business administration. A business degree alone can cover skills in accounting, communications, or management, making you a stronger candidate the next time around.
No one enjoys being told they’re not the right fit. But rejection doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path, it just means that door wasn’t yours to walk through. You can let it shape you, but don’t let it shrink you. A career isn’t a straight line, and it doesn’t reward everyone at the same time or in the same way. The best you can do is keep showing up—wiser, maybe a little bruised, but still in motion.
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FSC Career Blog – June 17, 2024 – FSC Career Blog Writer: Cherie Mclaughlin
