“Not Getting the Job” Should be a Learning Event

The scenario plays out all too often. You get the call that your resume was selected; you land an interview; and then…silence! Days, perhaps weeks of uncertainty pass, until you finally receive the dreaded email stating “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Getting rejected for anything is devastating, but getting rejected for a job can be very unnerving. The immediate reaction for most is to obsess over what went wrong. Did I blow the interview? Am I too old? Was the position filled internally? While wallowing in self-doubt is the easy way out, rise above your pessimism and take the opportunity to conduct an honest assessment. Follow up by asking why you were not the right fit. Perhaps ask the interviewer if he or she could offer you ways to improve so you might become a better candidate for the company in the future. The interviewer won’t think any less of you, and if you don’t ask, you will never know. Continue Reading