Rejection is an inevitable part of life. Everyone receives the, "We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours," message at least once in their lifetime.

It's not the best feeling; however, rejection doesn't always mean you aren't good enough. Instead of wallowing and feeling discouraged, view rejection as a step in the right direction on your path towards success. You get stronger, wiser and smarter once you not only recover, but also learn to grow from the experience surrounding rejection.

Life Moves On

Needless to say, rejection hurts.

If you find your self-esteem crushed, you may be tempted to dwell on your missteps and replay all the reasons why a company may have rejected you. This is your negativity bias at work; a survival mechanism from our hunter-gatherer days that makes us pay more attention to negative events than positive ones.

The fact that you're deeply affected is actually a good sign that you do care about doing your best. If you don't care, you won't grow. What's done is done; now you have the freedom and power to do better.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

With every rejection, there's feedback on improving your next attempt. Doing a post-mortem helps you  identify what you can improve upon versus what is beyond your control.

You can't control how a hiring manager thinks or how they perceive you and the factors at play in choosing their next hire. 

Do your best in what is in your control. For example, work on your personal brand, your connections and how you portray yourself can go a long way when making an impression on any company!

Oh the Places You'll Go

A simple trick for moving on is to keep moving. 

Redirect your energy towards targeting other companies that need someone like you, knowing that the company that rejected you isn't the only one that's hiring. The momentum from crafting targeted resumes, researching potential employers to applying for other jobs, will lead you to the company that is right for you!

Rejections happen and are unavoidable. Many factors contribute to a rejection, and it's not always just about you.

Never wallow. Just remember to take every experience as an opportunity to learn, and when the right opportunity rolls around, it'll be your perfect match. When you look back, you'll see how much you have grown and that rejection is a rite of passage in building the career that you want.

Cure your Rejection blues by putting yourself out there. Visit and meet more companies and teams to find your perfect match. You never know where your next Wantedly Visit may take you - take the chance today!

Founded in 2010 (originally from Tokyo), Wantedly is a social hiring platform that allows talents and companies to meet based on shared mission and values, rather than salary and benefits. Striving to Create a World Where Work Drives Passion, the platform provides opportunities for talents to discover their dream companies, while allowing companies to showcase their brand story and passion projects to build their dream team.