What To Do When You're Not The "Ideal Candidate"

Avoid Displacing Anger

If you can't express appreciation or thanks to the hiring manager after receiving the job rejection, then you need to take a step back and go for a walk.

Never communicate with a recruiter, hiring manager, or anyone else in the hiring process while under the influence of anger. You may say something that could damage your reputation and cripple your career. It's okay to feel hurt after putting in time for a job or opportunity you really wanted, but save those really emotional feelings for close friends or family.

Learn About The "Ideal Candidate"

Following the job rejection, it's okay to ask the hiring manager for some feedback about what you were lacking as a candidate, and how you can improve for future job opportunities.

When asking a hiring manager for feedback, it's important to be professional, and not too pushy about it. If they don't respond, or decline to respond, just let it go. Not everyone is comfortable with or has time to give feedback.

However, if they do provide feedback, the information could be invaluable.

Not only is it good to know who you're competing against, but it's also good to assess what other candidates have in common, and what traits your dream company looks for in candidates. Why? Because you'll be able to better understand if you really fit in.

For example, if you have a hard time taking charge of tasks on your own but find yourself applying for jobs that offer little structure or support, you might not be the ideal candidate for the job.

Don't Let Rejection Stunt Your Growth

Let's say you didn't get the design job of your dreams despite having a portfolio with years of obvious hard work. So what? Use rejection as a way to perfect your skills and toughen your skin. Maybe you were just one year shy of necessary job requirements or maybe your skill set needs some fine-tuning.

This is all perfectly okay. Sometimes we don't get the things we want because we just might not be ready. Remember, the company isn't saying "No, not ever." They're actually saying "No, not today." You could re-apply to the same company later on and end up getting the job. It's important to keep the lines of communication open.

Don't let your job search get in the way of your personal growth. There are always opportunities available for professional development and upskilling, you just have to always be open to those opportunities.

Just because you weren't the ideal candidate initially, doesn't mean you won't be in the future.

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This post was originally published at an earlier date.