What To Do When Your Job Application Has Been Rejected

We’ve all been there. Every single one of us has had to face at least one of our job applications getting rejected. Whether that happened through the form of radio silence from a potential employer or an email response to inform you of the bad news, we’ve all been there! If you’ve recently found out that one of your job applications has been rejected, take a breather and do not panic! Rejection is a completely normal part of the job hunting and hiring process.

With that being said, you probably cannot stop thinking about what you should be doing next. What are some of the things you should take into factor as you move ahead with your job hunt? How can you identify what to do and what not to do, as you continue searching for the perfect job opportunity? Fret not - in this article, you can find some useful and helpful tips to get you through your job search. Here are 5 pieces of advice we have for you, if your job application was rejected recently!

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

One of the mistakes that many job-searching candidates make is to bank all their hopes into just one job application. It’s highly likely that those who do so must have applied to their dream job. And that’s great - apply to the places you passionately identify with! However, it’s also important to remember the factor of competition that is prevalent out there. Putting all your eggs in one basket and hoping for the best while sitting idle can come back to haunt you! So, never sit tight with just one job application submitted.

Instead, plan and strategize your job application process. Apply for multiple jobs at the same time. At the end of the day, the more job applications you have, you’d logically stand a higher chance of landing yourself at least one call back from an interested company! While you may have set your vision on a specific occupation or designation, search for similar opportunities with your dream company’s fellow competitors. Look for other available options and check if these firms’ visions match with yours too. Keeping an open mind is an especially crucial element to help you achieve success in your job hunt!

Ask for Feedback

Remember how your teacher used to say in class that it’s important that you, as a student, should ask questions to clear your doubts? How there are no dumb or stupid questions? That’s not a piece of advice that should only stick with you within the classroom environment. It’s one that is actually applicable to many of life’s predicaments. For instance, a rejected job application! What’s one of the best ways to find out how you can turn around a rejected job application to make it successful? Ask, of course!

Ask your interviewer or the manager you spoke with regarding the position what they would have preferred to see in your job application? Was it a lack of specific experience within the industry you’re looking to get into? Was it a problem with your interview stage? Dress code? Soft skills? Humans are social creatures by nature. Helping one another out when stuck in a rut is a practice that comes to us without the need for much prodding. Don’t feel shy or embarrassed to ask the questions that come to mind. More often than not, the person on the other end of the hiring process will be more than happy to provide you with some tips to improve your job search experience. Chances are, they’ve already handled a substantial number of job applications. This allows them to better identify issues with job applications; more easily than others may be able to!

Keep Communication Channels and Lines Open for the Future

Okay, granted that your initial response after receiving a rejection letter/email to notify you that your job application was not successful is probably not filled with resounding enthusiasm, it’s equally important that you keep the communication channel with the company open for future purposes. Reply to the email with a ‘thank you for your consideration’ note. Just carrying out this little step alone can leave behind a good impression of you. It could also potentially help you to secure a position in the firm next time round, should they find your qualifications acceptable for a future designation within the company.

While many applicants may not bother responding back, a simple response to their email that nonetheless highlights your interest to join the firm in the future, can do you immense good down the road. While you probably don’t want to come off too clingy, dropping the employers a simple message - especially after seeing a job advertisement online for the position you may be interested in - could help you lock in a position within the company in the future too! Such an effort from your part will help let the employers know that you are still interested in the position.
If you had in fact been considered for the position after a second or final round of interviews, chances remain that they had seen an inkling of what they were looking for in you! So, don’t lose hope and keep your communication channels open.

Make Some Changes

Here comes the bittersweet truth: if your job application for the position you had longed for has indeed been rejected, something went wrong somewhere. What this also tells you is that should you make some changes, you’d be the perfect fit for the role too. Perhaps it could have been a minor issue with your CV structure. The layout and arrangement of your resume’s content could have seemed a little messy or unappealing to the hiring manager. However, this minor issue could lead to the huge consequence of a rejected job application if he/she puts away your application to the side altogether. In this case, editing your CV to make it more organized, presentable and readable can prove to become beneficial for your job hunting purposes.

It could also be that your paper qualifications and work experience had dazzled the employers and set a high level of expectations from you prior to your interview. Maybe, an issue with your performance at the interview could have caused you to lose your job opportunity at the firm. In order to work around improving your performance at job interviews, pay attention to factors like body language, dress code, self-esteem and confidence levels amongst others. These are things that remain under your control, elements of a job application that can be worked upon to bring about a favorable result.

Alternatively, it could also boil down to a completely different conclusion too! It is also entirely possible that the people who hired you felt that you may not fit into the company culture they have going on within the organization. In such cases, identify where to draw the line when making changes! Learn to realize that not everything is a loss and that when one door closes, another will surely open again.

Maintain Optimistic Vibes

Do not lose hope. It’s just one rejected job application. The world goes on and so will you. If you had given your best shot and they still weren’t interested in hiring you, consider it a blessing in disguise! You have so much potential and unique talent to bring to the table. Wait patiently for the right firm to take you on. It’s better to be recognized for your efforts at the right place than to work painstakingly hard and still not have your hard work be appreciated. Remember that you are not alone in your job searching journey. Have a support system to take your mind off matters when you feel the walls starting to close in on you. Most importantly, keep a positive outlook towards the future and focus on the next opportunity waiting for you. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

What can you do next, then?

While you’re probably going to start the job hunting process again, why not consider giving GrabJobs a visit? GrabJobs is an efficient recruitment platform that connects thousands of job-seekers and employers around the world on a daily basis. Individuals can rely on the platform’s free job search functionalities to receive job matching alerts, access the career resources library and online courses to build their career.

With its instant live chat feature with employers, job seekers can expect to not miss a single opportunity while receiving timely updates about their applications as well as automated reminders when they get invited for an interview. Take a look at some of the available positions that match your needs and get matched with the best job opportunities near you through GrabJobs now! Apply for your desired work opportunity in 1 click and get interviewed on the spot via GrabJobs’s chatbot. Save yourself some precious time and lock in the job of your dreams right away!

By Reshma Sharunlal