How To Plan Your Next Steps After a Job Rejection 

You found your dream role. Thought you smashed the interview. But you have found out today that you are unsuccessful. 

Don’t worry, a lot of us have found ourselves in this situation. You feel deflated and realise that you must start all over again. But don’t fret as in this article we will look at ways to get you back in the job-hunting game! 

Did you know 61.7% of job seekers get at least one interview by sending between 1-10 job applications when applying for jobs on their own. But by using a recruiter can greater your chances of getting an interview, with their wider networks and coaching you along the way, you could find yourself with more interviews than ever before! 

Here at Focus On ServiceNow, we strive to not only help you find a role but to continue with our coaching throughout the whole process. If you are unsuccessful in an interview, we will help you understand why and coach you to become better. 

Ask For Feedback 

This should be at the forefront of your mind after an interview. You want to learn what went wrong and figure out how you can learn from it. 

Asking for and taking on board feedback is the most helpful thing you can do when faced with a job rejection. There is no point in self-analysing where it went wrong – as this won’t paint the full picture for you to realise why you weren’t the right person for the job.  

Start by asking the recruiter for their feedback and then ask the recruiter to find out feedback direct from the employer. If it all sounds a bit generic, don’t be afraid to ask them to go into a bit more depth for you. Afterall, this will help you overall as you put a lot of effort into this process. Our recruiters are there to help you better yourself for your next interview, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and use their knowledge. 

Reflect 

Once you have gathered your feedback and written it down, review it. This is a chance for you to really pull it apart and look at the places where you can improve. 

What were the things to work on? Could you have done anything to help you to prepare more for the interview? A bit more research on the company or a presentation could have given you that extra boost. 

Reflection of the feedback is key as there will always be ways to develop. 

Go back to your recruiter and talk through what you have found out. Get their spin on things. Ask if they have had previous candidates with similar feedback and learn from their experiences. 

One of our Recruitment Specilaists, came up with a great analogy when reflecting on what you’re saying on your CV: 

“If you’re going for a baking job and say you make rainbow cakes every day, but your CV says you’re on the phone instead… then sometimes the interviewer sees it as a mismatch” 

They gave us an example where they have previously helped a candidate align his CV to what he was saying: 

“I got a call from a random person who wanted to get into Aviation recruitment because he had an interest in aviation.  

At that point I thought “here we go, likes planes and thinks he can do recruitment because of this” and I questioned him a lot on the phone before seeing his CV, he explained that he knew it was a lot of calling/ rejection and that it is a target focused industry, so I thought he’d be really good after we spoke.  

When I got his CV through it didn’t say any of this so I called him, pointed out where he should rewrite it and what to put to reflect what he knew about recruitment and to basically write down everything we discussed on the call. I then went through with him with what he should say and how his experience in Aviation is relevant because he can apply it to the industry, and I then introduced him to our CEO at the time and he got the role no problem - I worked with him for nearly 2 years after that!”  

If your CV isn’t reflecting what you are saying in the interview this could be a downfall. Make sure you have aligned your CV for the role you are going for. 

Reoccurring Themes 

Think back to previous feedback from interviews or appraisals you have had in the past. Is there anything that has come up before? If there is, consider putting together a development plan with your recruiter to help you improve in this area. 

There are plenty of free courses online to help with the development of skills.  

Stick to the plan and regroup with your recruiter at regular stages to keep track of your progress. 

Be Philosophical 

Even if you nailed the interview, sometimes to have to accept that sometimes rejection is out of your hands. There could be plenty of other reasons why you weren’t successful in securing the role – maybe there were other interviewees that had slightly more experience than you, or there was no room in the budget to grant your salary requirements.  

If this is the case, then this could mean that the position within this company wasn’t the right fit for you anyway. 

Build Resilience  

Missing out on a role can be disappointing, especially if you have had your heart set on it. But don’t let this effect your future ventures.  

As never before, things have changed and evolved quickly. Take the set back on the chin and learn from it, use the mistakes you have made to better yourself in the areas needed. Dust yourself off and try again – you will get there eventually! 

If you are currently searching for your next role and would like advice on how to better yourself for interviews, contact Focus on ServiceNow today and we will be happy to help you find and secure your dream job!