Key Steps to Take When You Dont Get Your Dream Job

Key Steps to Take When You Dont Get Your Dream JobKey Steps to Take When You Dont Get Your Dream Job1Rejection- it really is a part of life. But when youve gone after a job you know is the perfect fit for youand youre confident the hiring manager agrees- and yet you dont get the offer, youre usually left feeling devastated and confused.What went wrong? The answer can be any number of reasons why you didnt get your dream job. An internal candidate could have been chosen, someone may have been more qualified, or your resume may not have made the cut for a variety of reasons.So, what do you do now? You have several options, but none of them should include staying in a negative place of depression, self-pity, or anger.Take these positive six steps to move forward if you didnt get your dream job1. Remind yourself that youre not the only one who didnt get your dream job.There are often upwards of 100 candidates for a coveted position and only one will be chosen. That means you could be one of 99 who were also rejected.And think about your life history so far. Have you experienced the disappointment of rejection before? Of course you have. You may not have made the cut for an athletic team, you may have lost a debate, maybe you didnt get in the sorority or fraternity you wanted, or you may have experienced not winning in a competition. Looking back now, are you still devastated? Most likely not.A wise person once said, If it will matter five years from now, its something to dwell on. And while not getting that job seems like a huge setback right now, it wont seem so in five years. Getting some mental perspective will ease the pain.2. Ask for feedback.If you made it through the bewerbungsinterview process, its perfectly okay to contact the interviewer and ask for feedback. Ask how you can become a better candidate or interviewee. Veronica Wright, CEO of Resumes Centre,says, Rejected candidates often hesitate to do this, but if they do get an answer, it can be helpful f or the next interview. They have nothing to lose by asking.3. Avoid ruminating but do evaluate a few things.First, review your resume and compare it with the job posting. Were there some things you overlooked? Every resume has to be customized for a specific position and must include keywords that an automated resume scanner will find.Review the interview objectively, but avoid over-analyzing every minute of the event. Do think about what answers you can improve on next time. Youd be surprised how many interviews contain the same questions, just in a different format, says Guy Thomas, director of the resume writing department at FlashEssay. Candidates need to prepare answers within the context of the specific position.4. Get back on that horse.The best cure for the devastation from not getting your dream job is to kick your job search back into gear as quickly as possible. Give yourself a day to feel bad but no more. Theres a psychological healing that occurs when you take some posi tive action following a negative event. Work on that resume, check out job postings and get your paperwork out there. If nothing else, this will force you to look forward rather than dwell on the rejection.5. Make a list.Think about all the successes youve had in your life so far. You achieved them because you have some great strengths, skills, talents, and abilities. One of the best ways to get over self-negativity is to make a list of all of those things. Youll find that your list of achievements is long.6. Theres more than one dream job.Youmay not feel this way right now, but there isnt just one dream job for you. And one of them is out there in your future. As Joni Hampton, HR director at EssaySupply, says, Careers occur in steps and stages. There are usually interim positions before you get to that one you absolutely love. Learn and grow during those interims- thats the key.Going ForwardRejection is painful, whether it comes from a relationship gone sour, a competition not won, or that dream job not gotten. The great thing about us humans, though, is that we are resilient. When faced with rejection, we feel pain (and maybe some anger), we sometimes over-generalize it to other areas of our lives, but we do get over it. Ask yourself, Will it really matter five years from now, or will I be on to other things?Find a job that fits your lifestyle Browse Open Flexible JobsSylvia Giltner is an experienced HR professional who helps job seekers find their ideal career paths. Shes also an active guest contributor. Sylvias writing has been featured on Forbes, MarketWatch, Fast Company, Next Avenue, and more.