How to deal with job rejections

You just had a job interview and you’re feeling great. You love the sound of the company and you think you really connected with the panel. Then an email comes in. It’s a no. You’re left feeling upset, confused and wondering what went wrong.

Being rejected has to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences out there – it can really undermine your confidence. Unfortunately, it’s also an inevitable part of hunting for a job.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to feel more in control and protect your wellbeing. Here are our top tips on how to deal with job rejections so that when you next have to face one, you can recover quickly and use it to become an even stronger candidate.

Job rejections can knock your confidence and make you feel anxious. That’s why it’s so important to develop techniques that will help you keep up your morale when you receive one.

As well as protecting your self-esteem, knowing how to take rejection is something that can help you in your job search. Our 2024 annual report showed that resilience – the ability to bounce back from setbacks – is a key skill employers want in their employees.

So how can you do it?

Getting rejected from jobs makes you question your abilities. It might even lead you to wonder whether there’s something wrong with you. Rather than dwelling on these negative feelings though, take a deep breath and start challenging them with facts.

There are lots of reasons you might have been unsuccessful that don’t have anything to do with your abilities or how you came across. Maybe the company decided to hire internally and go for a candidate they already know. Or perhaps someone else just had more relevant experience in the sector. These factors are relatively out of your control.

You should also try to remind yourself that this happens to everyone, even very successful people. Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg were rejected at the start of their careers – and just look at them now.

It may feel like a huge deal in the moment but it's not a sign you should give up. Remind yourself that getting a 'no' this time round doesn’t mean you will never succeed.

You don’t need to face this alone. Reaching out for support from your network is one of the best things you can do when you're facing rejection.

Family and friends will listen if you need to vent. They can also remind you of your strengths and positive qualities – we all need a cheerleader sometimes.

You may also want to check in with friends from university as they’re likely to be searching for a job, too. Talking to someone who is right there with you and who gets the frustration can make you feel a lot better. Truly everyone experiences rejection at some point in their career, so know that you aren't alone.

Spend time on professional development. Are there any certifications you could earn? How about researching areas of the industry you’re trying to break into that catch your interest? You could even work on something that isn’t directly related to your chosen career but that helps you build transferable skills, like communication.

Self-development has the obvious benefit of making you more attractive to employers, but it’s also a major boost for your confidence. If you can remind yourself that you have expertise and desirable skills, and that you're a good learner, it’s easier to push back against the doubts that can creep in after a rejection.

Self-care should be one of your top priorities during your job search. That’s especially the case when you’re processing a rejection.

Try not to criticise yourself too much. You might feel that being tough on yourself will help you avoid future disappointments, but having impossibly high standards is likely to do you more harm than good.

Instead, practice self-compassion. A useful way to do this is to think about how you’d react if a friend failed to get a job they really wanted. What would you tell that friend? You wouldn't judge them harshly, and you'd know that a job rejection doesn't reflect on their worth as a person. So, turn the same logic on yourself and give yourself comfort, not punishment.

Right after a rejection is also a sensible time to step away from your job search to do things you enjoy, like spending time with loved ones. Prioritise activities that make you feel fulfilled, like charity work or your favourite hobbies. These are good reminders that work is only one part of your life – it doesn’t have to define you.

While rejections often happen for reasons beyond your control, there will always be ways you can improve for next time. Rather than failures, treat them as chances to sharpen your approach.

Make a list for each role you didn’t get, including things you thought went well and things you think you might need to improve on. Perhaps you felt like you turned in a strong cover letter but certain questions in the interview flustered you. What could you do to feel more confident next time?

If you’ve received several rejections in a short time, it could be a sign that you need to slow down. You might get better results if you focus on submitting a few really high-quality applications, rather than putting pressure on yourself to churn out as many as you can (remember, quality over quantity).

It’s also worth thinking about what stage of the process you’re getting to. If you’re not getting many interview requests, perhaps you need to work on your CV and cover letter. If you’re making it to the first round of interviews but not progressing beyond that, it’s a sign that your applications are strong (which is great). However, it also suggests that you might want to work on your interview technique by doing some practice interviews.

This isn’t about criticising yourself. It’s about celebrating what you did well and finding areas where you can grow to make yourself an even stronger candidate.

When you get a rejection email, it’s really tempting to click delete right away and pretend it never happened, right? As for replying… it can feel too painful to contemplate.

However, even if responding is the last thing you want to do right then, sending a polite reply good etiquette. It demonstrates your professionalism and helps you build a positive relationship with the Hiring Manager. Who knows where that might take you?

So how should you respond to a job rejection email? Aim for something that’s brief, respectful and positive.

Thank the Hiring Manager for their time and for the opportunity. If you got through to the interview stage, you could personalise it by mentioning a part of your conversation that you found particularly interesting. This shows you were engaged with the process.

Now’s also a perfect time to tell them you’d be interested in future openings at the company. If they know you’re enthusiastic about working with them, they’ll be far more likely to keep you in mind if any suitable roles come up.

If you weren’t given any feedback about why you were unsuccessful, you can ask the Hiring Manager if they have any suggestions for how you could improve. While constructive criticism can be hard to take, having an employer’s perspective on areas for improvement can make a massive difference to your future prospects. In other words, feel the cringe and do it anyway.

Here are a few tips for how you can ask for feedback after a job rejection:

• Do it when you send your initial reply, rather than following up later. You want the process to be fresh in their mind.
• Keep your request respectful – remember that you are asking for more of their time. They don’t owe you feedback.
• Try to avoid leading questions based on how you think it went. For instance, don’t say things like “I know I struggled with that question on leadership. How do you think I could have handled it better?” It’s much better to let them highlight what they think is most important for you to focus on.

If someone doesn’t provide feedback after you ask for it, try not to assume it’s because they didn’t like you or you didn't do well. They could just be busy. As with the original rejection, it might feel personal but it almost certainly isn’t.

For more advice on successfully navigating your job search, browse through our graduate careers advice.