Jobseekers' Diaries by Andromachi Kokkinou: Dealing with Rejection

By: Together Abroad by Andromachi Kokkinou 08-12-2014 10:58 AM
Categories: * Jobseekers' Diaries,

Rejection: It’s the first shock. Gradually, you get used to it. But the more it happens, as I wrote last week, it slowly gets to you. I know it’s a dreadful topic because it can unsettle you to the core, making space for unwanted thoughts: What is going on? Am I not good enough?
During my job-search I’ve come across three types of rejection:

  1. Rejection after interview
    Anticipation is high. Yes, there’s a lot of stress involved, but it’s the positive kind of stress. Even when faced with the most unexpected results, there is the satisfaction that you made it there. In general, I am less disappointed when I have come closer to getting the position. I don’t think this is strange because when I am called to an interview, even after I get rejected, I feel that I have done something right to be considered for the post in the first place.
  2. No interview
    Most unwelcome lines ever: “Unfortunately, we cannot invite you to an interview.” This is one of the politest variations, but you get the message. In most cases it’s an automatic reply. Some recruiters do the difficult job of filling in your name in the “Dear...” line. There are cases when you can ask for additional information when you feel you could stand better chances, even though it is common you will get no answer. Still, it’s much better than the final and most distressing form of rejection.
  3. No reply at all!
    This is the most unnerving situation among the three. When I receive no reply, I try to get in touch with the HR. What happened to my application? Did the dog eat it? It really gets to me when I spent time on it, followed the whole procedure diligently and then…nothing. Nada. Sometimes it is the case that a mistake has been made. But in many other instances there is no excuse. It’s like a passive aggressive relationship: you start doubting yourself. What did I do wrong to get ignored? Why are you avoiding me?

As much as I wish for a proper follow-through, it doesn’t always happen. In the meantime, I can only keep going as I get more and more comfortable with rejection. How do you deal with being turned down as a jobseeker?


by Andromachi Kokkinou

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