No one likes the feeling of being rejected; whether from a job, a relationship or anything for that matter. Regardless how confident you are in general, rejection still sucks.

 

If you are anxious, you can be shocked into seclusion. Better never to try again than to get hurt, is that right?

No, it’s not. We are social creatures. And to a degree, we need to communicate with the outside world and keep trying to deal with rejection until we overcome it.

To reach that point, we need to learn how to handle rejection like pros, and in a healthy way. Here’s how:

Identify the Problem

You must be clear with yourself about the situation. Ask yourself the important questions: Why was I rejected? What can I do to improve?
Yes, maybe the interviewer wasn’t fair, maybe things just didn’t work out. But you have to be honest with yourself and mark what can be done to be better.

Learn to Play the Game

Job hunting or dating, like everything else, is kind of a game. There is always a set of rules to follow.
If you are an idealist, you may feel a tick now. But like it or not, there are preset rules that the world works with when it comes to anything. Even if they are not perfect. Most of the time, what’s perfect and what does work are rarely the same.

If you asked someone out and they said no, it’s simple. If you applied for a job and you got “unfortunately” rejected, that’s normal and bound to happen. They have certain criteria and you are just not matching it.
Applying this to everything in life, it’s not incompetence as much as it’s incompatibility.

Trial And Error

The more you try, the more you learn, and the better you become. The more you do something the easier it becomes.

Some people are naturals when it comes to these things, and some aren’t. Don’t worry, if you aren’t, you can learn it by trying again.

Sometimes “NO” Is the Answer!

Sometimes No itself is an answer. Some endeavors may not be for you and as harsh as it may seem, you should work on trying to find a replacement, after you give it the necessary time and effort, of course.

Some things can’t be forced, they just need to happen. And if they don’t, it’s not meant to be.

 

Accepting ‘No’ as a valid answer is your key to understanding that being rejected from an opportunity is not an option, but how to feel and act upon it is your choice.