By Elaine Mead,

In today’s competitive market, applying for jobs often goes hand in hand with job rejections. It’s worth knowing that this is the case across the board, for people at all skill and experience level.

So what do you do when all you’re getting back in your inbox is rejection after rejection?

Seek Feedback

Where-ever possible from any applications or interviews always try to pursue feedback. It could shine a light on any small or glaring errors you’re making, that until they’re pointed out – you might not even realise!

Seeking feedback can sometimes seem scary – it can seem that you’re being criticised and when you’ve tried your hardest the last thing you want to hear is everything you’ve done wrong!

But bear in mind how positive feedback can be – even if it is pointed out where you went wrong or how you could improve, it’s a fantastic learning opportunity for you to make sure you get it right next time.

Most employers will be happy to provide feedback, especially following an interview. A simple, polite email or telephone request should be all it takes. 

Review Your Job Search Process

If it’s the case that you’ve applied, and applied, and applied – And you’ve just not heard anything at all, good or bad, then it may be time to carry out a review and refresh on your job search techniques and application processes.

Things to consider:

When did you last review your CV? – I hear all too frequently from clients that they’ve applied for 100s of jobs and had no response. When I ask them when the last time they reviewed their CV was and I hear ‘Never’ I almost despair! If you’re sending out your CV, and no ones biting, why are you still using it? Review & Refresh – You could even seek a professional to do this for you, lots of companies offer free CV reviews so use them!

What websites are you using? – If you’re only using one website or a couple of websites, over and over again and not hearing back – maybe it’s time to move on! It could be the industry you’re focusing on just doesn’t utilise those sites, so your applications are being overlooked. Research agencies & websites that are tailored to your job goals and make sure you’ve got the CV to match before signing up!

Cut out the middle man – Better yet if you’re using generic recruitment sites, see if you can find out who the employer is and go to them directly – check their website for their jobs board or better yet give them a call & speak to HR! A direct call will make you stand out and show how proactive you are in targeting them as an employer.

Keep Track of Your Applications

A job diary is a great way to keep track of everything you’ve applied for, note down log in details for different sites and keep a record of when you should hear back from any applications.

It’s a great way to give yourself some control over what you’re doing – if an advert says all applicants will hear back by a certain date, you can note it down. If you’ve sent out 10 CVs speculatively, you can note when you’ve sent them and when you’ll be carrying out follow up calls/emails.

Taking this positive action will help you feel proactive over what you’re doing, rather than just sitting around not hearing anything at all.

Don’t Take it Personally

This might seem like a silly thing to say – Of course you’re going to take it personally! But you have to remember you’re not alone – a rejection isn’t an attack on you as a person or your character (unless you really messed up the interview in some outrageous way but lets assume you didn’t!!)
On average at the moment employers are receiving 200+ applications for every role they advertise and in most cases they will only want to actually interview between 5-10 people for the position. Rejections are a common occurrence in today’s job market, with the majority of employers simply not having the time to respond to every single application individually.

It’s important not to get disheartened or frustrated – seek feedback and move on.

Keep your focus on your main goal – Finding your new role!