Whether you’ve been ghosted after sending in an application, or made it to the final round of interviews, getting rejected from what might have seemed like your dream job can be discouraging. It may even fill you with self-doubt about whether you are pursuing the right career path. The job rejections we receive, although sometimes painful, are essential and inevitable in the journey to finding the right position and company for you. But until that happens, here are some tips on what to do when you don’t get the job.

BE GRACIOUS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY

Although you’re probably disappointed things didn’t go your way, it’s important to send a thank you email to the employer. This turns your rejection into a networking opportunity! Don’t be afraid to let them know you’re disappointed you didn’t get the job. This shows how excited you were about the position. This is also your chance to ask for feedback that could help you interview better next time. And lastly, be sure to express your continued interest in future opportunities with the company. Below is a template that could help. 

Hi [INSERT THEIR NAME], 

Thank you for getting back to me regarding your hiring decision. Although I’m disappointed to hear that I was not selected for the [INSERT JOB TITLE] position, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to interview for the job. I very much enjoyed gaining more information about [INSERT COMPANY NAME] and would like to be considered for any future job openings that may become available.

If you have a moment to spare, I would be interested to hear any feedback you have regarding my application and interview. I’m sure any details you can provide would be helpful to my job search.

Thank you again for your time and consideration, [INSERT THEIR NAME]. I wish you and the rest of the team at [INSERT COMPANY NAME] continued success moving forward.

Sincerely, 

[YOUR FULL NAME]

MOURN THE LOSS

From preparing the perfect cover letter to going through possibly multiple rounds of interviews, odds are, you put a lot of time and effort into this opportunity. You became invested in this job and hoped to be rewarded with the title. It’s okay to take some time to feel bad and mourn what could have been. If you need to, take a day off from your job search…

REFLECT & REGROUP

But come back ready to work. If the employer provides you with any feedback, take that information into account and reflect on how you can improve. If there were any questions you struggled with during the interview, keep that in mind and practice these questions for future interviews. Additionally, if you realized through this process that there is a desired skill set you are lacking, find a way to gain more experience. For example, while I was looking for my first job out of college, I found many job descriptions I was interested in called for applicants with Microsoft Excel experience. So, I ended up taking some online classes and getting my Excel certification so that I could speak to my technical skills better. Services like Hubspot offer free online courses and certifications that you can publish on to your LinkedIn profile. 

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE COMPANY

If you made it to the interview round, odds are, they like you! For whatever reason, this opportunity just wasn’t the right fit for you. But it doesn’t mean that you should write off the company or future opportunities with them. Don’t hesitate to keep in touch by emailing your HR contact, or someone else you connected with at the company. Let them know what professional work you’ve been up to since you last spoke. Don’t forget to reiterate your continued interest in joining the company. Keeping in touch like this keeps your name top of mind to the employer so the next time a job opens up they just might reach out to you.