So You Didn’t Get the Job…..It’s Not Over!

How to Handle the Rejection Letter

By Calvin Bruce

Imagine interviewing for an exciting opportunity with a Fortune 100 company in a very appealing location. The campus interview goes well, followed by a day-long visit to corporate headquarters.  Everyone there is thoroughly professional, genuinely cordial and seemingly very interested in your academic accomplishments and what you offer the organization.

From your perspective, the series of conversations with the Human Resources representative, the team vice president and prospective co-workers goes very well.  Based upon the positive feedback you receive from them and other “good vibes” that you pick up during the visit, you’re almost certain that you will receive an employment offer.

Dutifully, you send a thank-you letter following the visit and even phone the HR representatives a week later to express continued interest in the position and to query the status of your candidacy.  The encouraging reply is that a definite decision has not been made, but that “you’re among the stronger candidates interviewed.”

Two weeks later you receive a letter from the employer.  With excitement you open it and hastily read it.  Contrary to your fondest expectations, the gist of it is this:  “Although we were very impressed with your academic accomplishments, campus leadership and internship experience, we have extended an offer to another candidate that appears to be a better match for the position.  Thank you for your interest.  We sincerely wish you the best in your search efforts.”

Needless to say, you are crestfallen and wonder why the company selected someone else for the job you really wanted.

Rejection is never easy to accept, but there are ways to handle it so that it doesn’t overwhelm you or derail your job search.  What follows are some pragmatic suggestions for coping and mentally regrouping as you continue your search efforts.  

Put rejection in perspective

To begin with, try not to take rejection personally.  That’s easier said than done, of course; but it’s important psychologically and emotionally to distance yourself from whatever dampens your spirits and hinders your efforts.

“Always look at more than one job opportunity at a time.  There will always be a job you will consider as your ‘first choice,’ but you won’t feel the rejection as badly when you have another one in the wings waiting,” advises Faye Koonce, an Atlanta-based contract corporate recruiter who has recruited for major Fortune 500 companies and prominent healthcare organizations. 

“Everyone wants to feel wanted, and keeping your options open will also give you the opportunity to put matters in perspective.  This enables you to maintain a positive attitude in dealing with the outcome regarding the next position that becomes available for you,” she adds. 

There’s something else very important to keep in mind:  Employers do not need any particular reason not to hire someone.  Rather, they need a good reason to extend an offer to the individual selected for the opportunity.  Simply put, employers are not required to justify to any candidate their rationale for selecting someone else. 

Secondly, consider the level of competition involved in job hunting among collegians.  Each year tens of thousands of bright and ambitious college graduates enter the job market.  Regardless of their major, they all seek well-paying positions with the nation’s top employers.  However, there is a limited availability of coveted, career-enhancing positions.

The ratio of candidates for “plum” positions with top-tier corporations can easily be 200 to one.  Do the math.  Even if all candidates are similarly qualified and interview equally impressively, 199 of them will not get an offer.  That does not mean that they lack promise and potential as candidates worthy of serious hiring consideration.  It simply means that the hiring nod doesn’t go in their direction.

If you happen to be one of the unsuccessful candidates, don’t despair.  The reality of the job market is that it may take as many as 15-20 job interviews in order to land an acceptable employment offer.  Until that occurs, what’s important is to put the matter in perspective and focus on selling yourself confidently in future interviews.

Learn from every interview experience

Each interview offers a unique experience for understanding how corporate America works and what it takes to “get your foot in the door.’  The fact is every company has a distinctive corporate culture, as well as specific hiring parameters and profiles of “ideal candidates” sought for junior-level positions.

Koonce comments:  “There are plenty of tips of how to get an ‘insider’s view’ on the company you have selected for possible employment.  Check out the company’s website.  Every company has a website, and while these sites always give a general overview of the organization, you will go into your interview with more information and confidence.  The fact that you took the time to research the company in advance and possess this knowledge will show and is always appreciated during the interview.”

To get a feel for the corporate culture, it’s also helpful to make contact with someone who has been previously employed at the company, Koonce mentions.  “That individual can give you a good idea of what is expected of employees and what to anticipate when interviewing.” 

Similarly, “don’t overlook one of the key employees that you meet as soon as you walk through the door.  The receptionist knows a lot about the company and everyone who works there—from the janitor to the CEO.  Being friendly to this person can present you with your greatest source of insight concerning an insider’s view of the organization.” 

Perhaps you didn’t get selected because you didn’t quite fit into the specific corporate culture, or you somehow missed the mark of being considered a “highly desirable” candidate to bring on board.  Quite likely, you will never know the real reason for not being chosen.  Even so, is there something that you can learn from the interview experience to better prepare you for continuing your job search?  To make this determination, answer these questions honestly:

1. Did you arrive on time and make a favorable impression in appearance and otherwise?
2. Were you cordial, pleasant and professional with everyone you met?
3. Had you done your homework and learned as much as possible about the employer?
4. Were you relaxed, comfortable and confident during the interview?
5. Did you give thoughtful answers and ask good questions?
6. Did you wait for the interviewer to broach the subject of compensation? 
7. How well did you communicate your eagerness to make an outstanding contribution to the organization?
8. Were there any “strike-out factors” that may have foreshortened your candidacy?
9. Did you ask for the job in an appropriate manner?                                            
10. What can you do differently in future interviews that might result in a more favorable outcome?

Candid answers to these questions can help you assess your interviewing strengths and weaknesses—and better prepare for the next round of interviewing. 

Draw strength from supportive people

Experiencing a long job search is like riding an emotional roller coaster.  You are “up” one day when things are going well and it seems that you are close to landing an ideal spot with a great company – and “down” the next day when your search efforts seem stymied or you get another rejection letter.

To buffer the negative effects of unsuccessful job hunting, it’s helpful to have a support group to draw strength from during difficult times.  By all means, take full advantage of career workshops offered by college placement officials. Not only can they help you fine-tune your job-hunting skills; they can offer uplifting words of encouragement that build up your self-esteem, which is critically important for projecting a “winning” attitude. 

Does your dormitory resident advisor periodically schedule “rap sessions” that focus on job hunting?  Such group conversations are particularly helpful when they include success stories by current students or recent alums who have obtained enviable positions with sought-after employers.  The positive vibes generated can buoy your spirits and motivate you to “keep on keeping on” in pursuit of your immediate career goal.    

Do you have a trusted mentor to turn to for guidance and inspiration?  If so, take full advantage of his or her insights on job hunting, actual employment leads and motivational guidance.  It pays to give close ear to someone who has “been there and done that”’ in getting established with a premier organization. 

And by all means, don’t forget family and close friends.  Whether they are nearby or geographically distant, they can offer valuable support during moments of discouragement.  Just to know that they are “in your corner” is comforting and reassuring whenever you experience setbacks in your search. 

If necessary, refocus your search

Landing the ideal job is like shooting for the bull’s eye of a target.  It may take many attempts to hit the mark.  The key is to position yourself in the right range for focusing in order to achieve your goal without expending too much time or energy.

In simple terms, perhaps you should consider re-scoping your search efforts if they are proving to be consistently disappointing.  For one thing, it might be advantageous to drop your sights a notch below top-tier corporations if that has been your exclusive focus.

Let’s be honest.  Almost every Accounting major would like to receive an employment offer from one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.  Likewise, the majority of Finance majors probably dream of working with an elite brokerage house on Wall Street once they earn their sheepskin.  Similarly, Information Technology graduates typically envision working for a cutting-edge, “hip” employer situated in Silicon Valley or in the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle area.

As discussed already, competition for starting positions with these types of firms is fiercely keen.  So if you’ve submitted resumes to only the most prestigious firms in your field without being granted an interview—or perhaps interviewing with some of them without receiving an offer—it may be wise to refocus your job hunting to include the many highly reputable employers that are considered “second tier” companies in terms of name and reputation. 

Keep in mind that your first job in the “real world” of employment will not be your last.  Thus, it’s possible to begin your career with a company that may not have the most stellar industry name and reputation, prove your worth to that organization, and then advance into a circle of greater professional influence and industry renown.

Refocusing can take another direction.  Are you needlessly limiting your search geographically?  Understandably, most graduates aspire to launching their career with companies in major metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, DC, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and such.    But why rule out appealing opportunities in smaller towns within commuting distance to the big cities?

The important thing is to get your foot in the door with a reputable organization and demonstrate how much you can contribute to their success.  As you grow in the position and develop a name and reputation for excellence in your field, you will find yourself being considered for advancement opportunities both within and outside the company you originally joined.

Koonce further explains:  “Everyone would like to start at the top or be there within a certain time frame.  However, there are always obstacles, and you may need to join a smaller company in order to obtain that ‘brass ring’ in the future.

“Sometimes working for a second-tier company where there are not as many employees is a smart move.  At smaller companies there are fewer employees; so employees do more than one job.  You can become a key employee in a shorter amount of time.  Learning those in-between steps (that assistants generally do in large firms) will give you an upper hand once you have that experience under your belt.  After a period of time, you can again apply to the larger firms.”

Perhaps one day you will work on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley or in some other “blue stocking” corporate environment.  Meanwhile, maintain your focus, determination and confidence in job hunting.  To a great extent, it will always be “the number’s game.’  But remember that you’re seeking only one great opportunity matching your skills and career aspirations.  When you land that ideal position, all the set-backs, headaches and heartaches experienced prior to that won’t really matter. 

So stay in the game until you reach the winner’s circle.  It’s definitely not over yet!

Calvin Bruce is an Atlanta-based freelancer with over 20 years’ experience in recruitment and career consulting.  His articles regularly appear in THE BLACK COLLEGIAN.