The holidays can be a great time for job searching but if you’ve been interviewing for some time, the holidays can produce more pressure than normal. We all know that the current job market remains one of the most challenging in US history. The combination of credit, mortgage, and global financial problems has amplified the difficulty in finding work as many employers show little job growth in a variety of sectors. As a result, professionals conducting a job search, many of whom employed while looking, are finding disappointing results in terms of new opportunities.
What’s worse are job seekers who made it past several interviews and become shortlisted only to be passed over in favor of another candidate. In most cases, there is no feedback or reason as to why the selection was made leaving people wondering if it’s their skills, personality, or interviewing skills that prevented them from being the favored choice. The question of “why not me?” can drive many people to become discouraged and stop searching or worse--settle for a bad opportunity simply because it’s the only offer on the table.
So what should you do if you made it to the final selection pool and didn’t make it? Experts weigh in on the best approach. Career coach Roy Cohen, author of, The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, believes that coming in a strong second is just about as good as it gets. He believes you need to change your perspective. “Your resume has been selected from among possibly hundreds. You have made it through a series of grueling interviews. You were one of very few finalists. Take heart in knowing that it must have been a difficult decision.” Cohen also believes you should ask for feedback even if it’s not offered and to ask to be considered for future opportunities.
Even with a set-back after being shortlisted, you have to move forward. Career Coach Allison Foskett of Mindful Careers Solutions believes that when you stop job searching in hopes that you will make it past the short-list, you have put all your eggs in one basket, and this is a no-no. Then, when you receive the news that you didn’t get the position, you will be shocked, upset and it will feel like someone just turned your world upside down. The truth, Foskett states, is that we are all dispensable at any step of the interview process. Her bottom-line guidance is, “Keep focused on doing your best to land the position, but don’t be too attached to the outcome, as this way of thinking gives you permission to become lazy with the rest of your job search.”
Probably the best way to think about job rejection comes from Ronald Kaufman, author of Anatomy of Success. Kaufman says that when dealing with rejection; keep the perspective that it will take a certain amount of interviews to get a job, and that each interview brings you closer to success. “It’s important to keep an upbeat positive optimistic attitude to stay in the game. Keep networking, keep learning, follow a healthy lifestyle, associate with positive people, and look for ways to give to others. Do volunteer work for a cause you believe in. This will help to keep your self-esteem up, your skills sharp, and your motivation going. “
As we come to the end of the year, long term job seekers, employed or not, may feel more stress wondering when their search will be over especially if they came close to the prize of a new job. Use the holiday time to reassess your journey and think about improvements if need be, but also think about the goal of fresh start after New Year’s feeling confident that 2012 could be a better time for a job change.
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