Here's The Thing About Job Rejections - It's Not About You

In this week’s post, Project Displaced volunteer Dwayne Warman writes about the importance of recognising an employer’s requirements don’t reflect a lack in your skills and capabilities. He is committed to helping people manage their self-confidence. Read what he has to say.

Leaving an organisation can be a daunting prospect. It often involves a very real sense of change from the sanctity of relationships, routines, and having a ‘home away from home’.

So it can be encouraging to recognise these are entirely normal experiences. Most of those in role transition who are without the certainty about their ‘next gig’ will go through a range of these typical emotions. And these are normal responses to the real sense of change.

It can be a harrowing experience - signing up for LinkedIn Premium, applying for a role and seeing a summary of accreditations and seniority of other members who have also applied. Or perhaps you have contacted someone from a talent acquisition team to follow up a role, only to be told resume reviews are taking longer due to the significant number of applicants for the same role. And how about those days when you’re waiting hear back on a number of roles, and when the phone rings it is about buying solar or changing electricity providers?

It is not surprising many find themselves feeling less worthy. Not experienced enough. Not educated enough. Not connected enough. These can be tough times, and ample to give your confidence a battering.

There are a few important aspects to keep in mind when going through a role transition. One that is fundamental is recognising you have skills, experiences and capabilities that are desirable to employers. It is a matter of finding an appropriate match between what you ‘bring to the table’ and the hiring manager’s role requirements. If you are unsure of what these skills, strengths and capabilities might be, you need to update your resume with key achievements and highlights from previous roles. Really think about them. Understand what differentiates these achievements from what you were being paid to do anyway. Be discerning about what set these achievements apart from your normal duties.

It can be a liberating experience when you’ve spent time identifying things you are proud of in your career - where you have accomplished outcomes and been recognised for it. Because when you unpack the contributions you undertook to achieve those goals or outcomes, you will uncover the golden nuggets that makes you, you. The key capabilities and attributes that helps set you apart, and differentiate you from other candidates.

And when you reflect on times when you’ve been performing at your best, when others have given you compliments on how you have showed up, gone about your work or the positive differences you’ve made in their lives, you will identify the golden nuggets that should be boosting your confidence. These are real outcomes that you can be proud of. Topics and content you can showcase when you interview or professionally network.

That is what helps gets you into the headspace of recognising that ‘Sorry, you haven’t been selected’ is better interpreted as ‘Your capabilities aren’t aligning with our needs’ rather than ‘You are not good enough’. Because - you know you are.

To speak to Dwayne or any other of our PD volunteers, take a look at the services we offer free of charge, and contact us today.