What strategies can you use to stay positive and focused when facing constant rejection in your job search?

Reflection, daily or otherwise, is a key part of job searching. Part of that reflection should be looking at what has gone well and what you will develop on - but crucially, it should also be reminding yourself that a lot of the time it can just be a case of 'right place, right time'. You might have had a wonderful performance in an interview, that in any other circumstances would have secured you the job - but on this occasion, someone else had just *slightly* more relevant experience. Learn, and grow, but go easy on yourself too.

It's important to remember it's also a numbers game, for every interview you're probably going to face 10 rejections 😩 More if it's a super competitive market. So keep your chin up, know that it's not you or your experience, it's them 😊

Adopt the outlook that you have to get through many "no's" to get to a "yes". Then, every rejection gets you one step closer to an offer.

People need to succeed, no matter how small the achievement is. So setting goals can help your search and help you remain confident as well. Some ways you can do this is by:- 1. Learning - add skills & certifications to your resume 2. Aim to set up 2 interviews a month if you can, no matter how 'lowly' the job may seem 3. Practice aptitude & psychometric tests online 4. Add people to your network These small wins will give you the confidence you need to do well in the search and remain positive.

Not only realistic goals, but set an actual goal for your job search. Most job seekers say their job search goal is to find a job "As soon as possible" - This is a wish, not a goal.

The odds of landing a job through an online application are horribly low. The odds of landing a job by networking, but specifically networking much earlier in the hiring process, is far higher. You'll find greater success and speed in your job search by adopting high-odds activities, while eliminating low-odds activities.

Do not get depressed about the result. The motive is to land on a dream role and you have to give time to it. Take sometime, find out where you are going wrong, troubleshoot your situation, fill the gaps and prepare a fresh resume which has all the content that the industry is looking for. You have to give time to yourself, ignore outside noise. Do not panic for someone’s achievements. Remember, Rome was not built in a day!

Setting time to take care of yourself during the job search is important. There will be rejections and there will be moments when it will seem overwhelming, these are facts. Knowing that at the beginning, you need to set time aside to recoup from those losses or set backs. Plan for outings away from the application and interview process, whether its to get coffee at your favorite spot or a walk in a quiet place, it's important to identify early that you will need to plan for self-care and implement it into your process. That way the stress and frustration doesn't consume you in your journey, and reflect in your interviews and any discussions you have with hiring managers.

Often in our career we get tunnel vision. We stay on the same career tracks in the same industries and become comfortable. Then when the time comes and we need to find new roles, we keep looking in the same industries, because that's what we know. However, take a step back, ask around, and I will bet you will find that other industries have the same or very similar roles that you have been doing. You may not have to consider a career pivot, just an industry pivot. From this to that but doing the same thing. When I retired from the Military, I asked everyone I met, what they did and if they liked it as a survey, and found many people doing my same job in different industries. Ask around you may be surprised.

It is important to guard the amount of rejection that you are opening yourself up to. No matter what you do with it, rejection is going to bring you down on some level. Think about why you may not have been the obvious choice and try to get closer to applying to roles where you are the obvious choice.

While you are on the hunt for a new role, why not use that same time to gain new skills? Never stop learning, find new ways to gain knowledge, whether its reading, classrooms, distance learning online, find your mode of education and continue learning. Adapt and gain a skill, it shows future employers you used your time while looking in a constructive way beyond just the job search.

If you see rejection as a normal part of the process, you will realize that it's just part of getting to the result you want. It won't feel as heavy as it does now.

Make each rejection a learning experience. Blaming employers or bad luck for not getting interviews, advancing, or landing offers may make you feel better for a few minutes, but it won't help you reach your goal. But when you own your job rejections, critically evaluate each one for the less obvious mistakes, discover what you could have improved or done differently, and use each experience to improve how you apply to the next job, your job search will be faster and more successful. But continuing to do the things that aren't working is the biggest job search mistake you can make.

Treat every rejection as a learning experience. Often, you didn't get an interview, advance in the hiring process, or get an offer due to something you missed, poorly communicated, undersold yourself, or other ways your search can perform more effectively. It's important to keep in mind that there's no one "magic pill" - Significant changes to your job search results will come from the combined efforts of many small changes to your resume/interview/search strategies, all working together and pulling you in the same direction towards an offer.

I don't believe in spending money when you're in a job search. Unless someone can guarantee you the job (which they can't), ⛔don't spend your money⛔ The only service you could consider would be a resume/linkedin profile reviewer. But you can also get a lot of this information online for free. Looking for a job is a job in itself - it is full time and full on. You can do it 💪🙌

Make sure that you understand the job description before you apply. in my time in recruiting, more than 80% of rejections were because people were applying from industries and qualifications that did not qualify them for the job at hand. If a job title looks too simple, it’s probably quite a technical job and you need to do some research. Simpler resume formats are always better. Use your LinkedIn and other job profiles fully. You can use a coach to help you polish Your resume and profile, but be judicious in your selection. Find someone who’s worked in recruitment. Never someone claiming to beat the ATS.