How To Deal With Rejection At A Graduate Job Interview
Once you have graduated, unfortunately it’s then time to enter the real world which involves full time employment! When you first start to browse the graduate jobs that are available, you may not be fully prepared for what can be a long and frustrating process. Of course if you are lucky, or incredibly gifted, it is unlikely that you will only need to apply for one vacancy to secure one of the available graduate jobs.
It’s more likely that you will apply for numerous jobs over a period of time, it’s also more likely that you will receive a job offer after several attempts. Yes, you can speed up the process by applying for several positions at once to increase your chances.
Unfortunately this does mean that you are likely to face rejection along the way to landing a graduate job. It’s better that you know that straight away, so you don’t plan your life on the basis that you get your ideal job within a month or two of graduating! There are people who do this, but you should approach this realistically.
Although it does appear to be devastating at the time, some rejection through life is usually necessary to guide you onto the road to success. You can learn a lot through being rejected, so here are some tips on how to deal with it!
In some cases you may be rejected from reasons beyond your control, which can but completely concealed. In an extreme example, the successful candidate may have a relative in the management structure of the company and had their name on the job from the beginning. Or an applicant could be much more experienced in a similar role than you.
If you are unsuccessful, in most cases you will receive feedback as part of the rejection process. Carefully listen to what is being said to you, as you can use and apply this information for future applications. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback either as you may be able to pinpoint your failings. For example, which questions did you answer well, and which questions didn’t you? Was your answering technique suitable?
Everybody has experienced failure at some point in the career, so don’t take any of the feedback personally!
If you are rejected, it will be because of objective and rational reasons so don’t think the world has a grudge against you. If you can identify the factors which are preventing your success, then you can make the required changes and hopefully get a much more positive result next time. If you are rejected more than once, learn from it, consider them each to be a hurdle that you have overcome on the way to gaining a graduate job.
You must always avoid, “biting back” during a feedback session, even if you don’t agree with what is being told to you. Always avoid making snide comments as well, they don’t help anybody, especially you. If you a pursuing a career in a sector, there is a strong chance that you will cross paths again.
You don’t want to damage any potential future employment or relationships! Make sure you thank the person for their feedback and for the time they have taken to deliver it to you. Appreciate their decision and politely say that you would like to meet them again at some stage.
To summarise, if you are entering the world of graduate job interviews, be prepared to face some rejection on the way. Don’t expect success at the first hurdle, instead use any rejection as a stepping stone and learn from the feedback that you receive. You will be successful and more likely a much stronger candidate and person.