“We’ve decided to move forward with other candidates.” You may have heard this phrase from a recruiter at some stage in your job-seeking process.

Rejection is one of those words we may hear from recruiters or hiring managers when we are not selected for a job at any stage of the hiring process, especially when we are just starting out. Hearing this word can demotivate us to continue the job-search process and may even affect our self-esteem.

As a human resources professional with over 10 years of experience, I can tell you that everyone has experienced this at some point in their careers. As an asian immigrant from Venezuela, I’ve experienced this throughout my entire professional life.

In this blog post, I will discuss what rejection is and how to handle rejection when you’re looking for your first job.

What is a Job Rejection?

Job rejection is experienced when someone is overlooked or not accepted for a job or career opportunity. Rejection can trigger feelings of unworthiness and not being good enough.

When I was searching for my very first co-op placement, which in Canada is an internship, I felt like I was not good enough.

I was actively seeking any job in any industry. I was just looking for work experience. I applied for roles across various industries daily, which led to 100+ job applications, only 3 job interviews, and no job offers. This made me question my self-esteem, identity and sense of worth, especially at a professional level.

• How can you handle job rejections?

  Here are 4 ways to handle job rejections:

  1. Label the emotion when your application is rejected:

     When you get rejected, become aware of which emotion it triggers in you. Is it sadness, frustration, unworthiness, embarrassment, self-doubt or any other emotion? Allow yourself to become aware of your own feelings and embrace those feelings.

     When I received those rejections, I felt defeated and frustrated about not being able to find my first job.

  2. Do NOT compare yourself to other job applicants:

     Others may be at different stages of their own job-seeking process; you cannot compare yourself to others, as that would be like comparing apples to oranges. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and may be at different stages in their job search process. When you compare yourself to others, you set yourself up for failure by holding yourself to unrealistic, inauthentic, and even impossible standards.

     When I compared myself to others, I blamed those job rejections on my accent, my lack of Canadian work experience, and even my lack of permanent immigration status. This made me compare myself to unrealistic, inauthentic standards.

  3. Reframe Job Rejection:

     Turn rejection into redirection. When we do this, we are guided and motivated to make changes that align us on the right path, so we can achieve greater results and impact.

     I asked myself whether those rejections were simply redirecting me to make changes and take a different approach to my strategy. This gave me the motivation to shift my approach.

  4. Be Open and Take Action In Your Job Search:

     If the strategy you’ve been using hasn’t already led to results, it’s time to be open to new ideas and try different strategies and/or approaches in your job search. Do your research and learn what works and doesn’t work in your current job search.

     I learned about job-seeking, including resumes, cover letters, and interviews, and how to take advantage of online resources. I kept an open mind and continued to improve and optimize my resume, cover letter, and interview prep.

  How to get your first job

  As you follow these 4 tips, you will find aspects of your job search journey that can be improved, strengthened, or even avoided.

  These tips will support you on your journey as you learn, grow, evolve, and take action to become the best version of yourself who lands the job.

  Within a week of starting this approach, I was able to not only get my very first work term.

  I secured a great employer who valued my contributions and invited me to return for my second co-op placement.

  This approach helped me with my third co-op placement. I applied to 10 roles in human resources, had 3 job interviews, and received 2 job offers.

  Despite being the last among my colleagues to secure my first co-op placement, I was the first to secure a full-time role 6 months before graduation.

  These 4 tips have helped me not only find my first job but also build a successful HR career.

  I invite you to follow these steps: label your emotions, do not compare yourself to others, see rejections as redirections, and be open-minded and take action as you continue learning and improving your job search strategy and journey, so you can land a profitable and fulfilling first job. I know these tips will help you get a head start in your job-seeking process.

  Mentors and coaches have helped me become the person and be where I am today. The guidance, advice, empathy, and support that I received from my mentors have been invaluable to my career success.

  Which tip are you going to implement? Which tip do you need support with? What have you learned about rejection that has shifted your perspective? What resonated with you?

  Share with us in the comments below.

  LAUNCH YOUR CAREER