The journey to your dream job may include some setbacks, learning, self-improvement and require a whole lot of resilience! By moving forward after a rejection, you are setting yourself up for success in future applications. So take the time now to evaluate what went wrong and up your interview game, improve your resume and strengthen your personal brand.

1. So, you didn’t get that job …
what now?
Here is an easy guide
to making the most out
of your job rejection.

2. You’ve spent hours writing a job application
and getting prepared for your interview. You
dressed in your best clothes and thought you
nailed the interview, but you were still rejected.
Why?

3. Why oh why?
No matter how perfect a fit you are for a job or how well you do in an
interview, you are never going to get every job you apply for. It’s nothing
personal — it’s business!
Sometimes it will be because someone internally had the competitive
advantage, they already knew the boss, or the interviewer felt the other
candidate would be a better fit. These are things you have no control over
and there is nothing you could have done to change the outcome.

4. Why oh why?
No matter how perfect a fit you are for a job or how well you do in an
interview, you are never going to get every job you apply for. It’s nothing
personal — it’s business!
Sometimes it will be because someone internally had the competitive
advantage, they already knew the boss, or the interviewer felt the other
candidate would be a better fit. These are things you have no control over
and there is nothing you could have done to change the outcome.
Sometimes it will be the case that someone with more experience or
industry knowledge gets the position. Sometimes you won’t get the job
because you weren’t prepared enough or you simply don’t have the skills
required.
Only one person can get the job and often there will be hundreds of
people applying for the same position. While you may not have been
successful this time, you can learn from the experience and move forward.

5. Don’t take it
personally
You may experience many rejections in your career before you receive a
job offer. Don’t take it personally. Rejection is not a reflection of your self-
worth — it’s a normal part of the job-hunting process.
It’s okay to feel disappointed and frustrated. Vent your frustrations (briefly)
to trusted family or friends but don’t ever vent on social media.
The best advice is to keep positive and congratulate yourself on your past
successes. It’s how you dust yourself off and move on to the next job
application that matters. You never know what amazing job is just around
the corner.

6. ‘A rejection is
nothing more than a
necessary step in the
pursuit of success.’
– Bo Bennett, Year to success

7. Learn from it
So you didn’t get the job ... learn from and use this experience to your
advantage in future applications.
One way to learn is to ask for feedback to help you improve. Not all
employers and recruiters will provide feedback, but it’s worth asking the
question to find out what they were looking for and why you didn’t make it.
Feedback is designed to help you, not to criticise you, so be aware of your
reaction to it and don’t get defensive or upset.
Make sure you’re choosing the jobs that best fit your skill level, as no-one
is going to give you a job as a manager if you’ve just finished an undergrad
degree and have limited work history. Also, make sure you’re truly interested
in the job and the company you apply to, as you can’t fake passion.

8. Evaluate
Think about what you wrote in your application and résumé — did you
answer the questions to the best of your ability and was it tailored to the
job you were applying for?
Evaluate your interview if you had one. Did you do enough preparation
and research? Were you well presented and were you honest in your
answers? Everyone can find room to improve, so work out what you can
do better next time.
Most importantly, don’t over-analyse it. There are a lot of factors involved
when it comes to making the hiring decision that you won’t know about
and that you might not be able to overcome.

9. Get some advice
Talk to the experts and gain their unbiased advice to help you with your
future applications. USQ’s Career Development team at Student Services
are the perfect people to contact for career support and advice. You can
talk with them at your preferred campus in-person, over the phone or via
email. This service is available up to 12 months after you graduate.
It’s also a good idea to talk to people you trust. Whether it’s a family
member, friend, mentor or colleague, tell them about your experience and
ask for their ideas as to how you can improve next time around.

10. Take action
Your confidence might have taken a hit but it’s time to pick yourself up, take some positive action
and move on.
If you find you’re not making it to the interview stage, you may need to improve your application
or review what jobs you’re applying for. If you’re getting an interview but not a job, do some
work on your interview techniques and company research.
Be realistic when setting yourself a timeframe to get a job. Keep your spirits high and if it’s
taking longer than you thought and you’re currently unemployed, use your skills for good and
volunteer. It should give you a confidence boost and will look great on your résumé!
TIP: There are countless resources on the internet to help you improve your job applications,
résumés and interview techniques. Check out the following:
»» Top 5 interview tips
»» How to nail that job interview
»» Career quick tip series
»» Rebecca: What every graduate
needs to know before they graduate
»» Your résumé recipe

11. CRICOS: QLD00244B NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081 29.4.2 03.2017 Images © Shutterstock
social.usq.edu.au
So, what now?
Time to pick yourself back up and keep going strong. Stay positive, work on improving
your résumé and interview skills and even if it takes a while, you will get a great job.
For more tips and advice to help you put your best foot forward when applying and inter-
viewing for jobs, get in touch with the Career Development team at Student Services.