How to Overcome the Application Rejection Blues

Application Rejection

Job seekers face a variety of challenges, and it’s too easy to get burned out by the slog of an unproductive job search and feel application rejection.

Join Mapertunity

1Your Name
2Choose ID
3Contact Info
4Tell Us About You
5Your Resume

 

In these instances, it may be time to step back and put things into perspective. While job hunting is important, there are only so many hours in a day to look for work, and it’s easy to overdo it.

Here are some tips for job seekers to help avoid burn out and get the best return for the energy they put out, even in the face of adversity, such as application rejection.

1. Schedule a Time Every Day to Look for Work

Some job seekers work 24/7 looking for stable employment, not bothering to stop for almost any reason. They feel as if putting themselves under stress will improve their results. This is a fallacy and is damaging to our psyches.

Instead of trying to handle the job search all day, we should try making our job search more like a job. We should schedule an appropriate time every day to look for work. Make sure that the period of time allocated is lengthy, so any tasks are done. We think you will find that productivity goes up, especially if you can look for work consistently at the same time every day.

Even better, this approach will help prepare for your eventual employment by teaching discipline as well as healthy motivation. Also, something as inconsequential as application rejection will seem to be less of an issue, because you probably will have many more job applications being considered by promising companies.

2. Practice Self-Care

This tip seems simple, but we are surprised how difficult it seems to be for most job seekers. Losing a job is rarely the former employee’s fault. Instead, the blame usually relies on several different factors, including the employer’s work environment, the state of the economy and more. However, we’re constantly surprised by how job seekers punish themselves for their gap in employment. Even if you are at fault, punishing yourself for being unemployed helps no one.

Instead, treat yourself as you would treat a friend in the same situation. Small pleasures in life, such as going to a park or visiting with friends over a latte, probably should be curtailed but shouldn’t be eliminated. Make sure to spend time with, and enjoy, your family. No matter what you may think, they probably are sympathetic and may even be happy to see more of you.

If you indulge in some simple and inexpensive self-care, a rejected job application will probably lose its importance in your mind, as you realize that life is far greater than a simple job. Your inner child will also stop feeling punished, which will help you cope more strongly with anything the world can throw at you.

3. Make Sure to Stay Social

In a similar vein, it’s very easy for you to isolate yourself from the outside world. Doing this may even seem to enhance productivity. But this strategy is hurtful, and the job seeker who isolates will probably take longer to find a job than someone who stays social.

Social people simply have more resources at their disposal than job seekers who isolate. Networking groups can help you with the job search by providing information on specific positions, as well as giving general tips on resume building, etc. Church groups and volunteer groups can give great references, as well as job hunting tips.

These groups will help you understand your worth as a human being, which isn’t limited to how much money you make or what your job title happens to be. The support that these groups provide will illustrate that application rejection, while frustrating, isn’t the end of the world.

4. Don’t Fall in Love with a Company

While some companies are better than others, making one particular company your only employment goal is never recommended. While you may have done your research regarding that particular company, they may have a corporate culture that you don’t understand or may simply have different goals in private as opposed to their public face.

So, if a company rejects your application, your job search should not be completely derailed, as you know not to “put all your eggs into one basket”. One company may seem to be a perfect fit for you, but you spread multiple applications around just in case.

5. Reflect on Your Performance

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to deal with application rejection. But one piece of advice that many articles give is to reflect on what you’re doing if it’s not working. All too often, those looking for jobs find themselves doing the same thing over and over again while accomplishing nothing. After a few failed job applications, it may be smart of you to reflect on your resume and interviews to see what may be improved.

However, if you decide to do this, avoid any sort of ruminations! What’s done is done. Dwelling on the past and regretting every mistake you’ve made in the job hunt won’t help you and may lead to anxiety or depression. Instead, realize any mistakes that you’re making can be fixed moving forward, and move to fix those mistakes. This will help put any rejected job applications you may have experienced behind you.

6. Rejection May Have Nothing To do With You

There are plenty of reasons why your application may have been rejected. Sometimes your resume doesn’t get past the application program.  Other times, the qualifications are misstated. Regardless of reasons, there is a very good chance that your application was rejected for reasons beyond your control, and it’s important to never stop trying.

Remember to Keep Your Chin Up

While these tips won’t alleviate all of the stress that goes into your job search, they will help when the next application rejections come in. Remember that failure is an essential part of success, and no one is perfect all of the time. Treat yourself with respect and patience, while still working towards your goal of employment, and eventually you will succeed. The job of your dreams is just around the corner!

If you’re an applicant looking to connect with incredible business opportunities, contact us at Mapertunity! We’re here to help.

9 Reasons Why You Need to Be Using Online Networking for Your Job Search

online networking

The job search poses difficult questions for candidates, and one question occasionally arises: Should I use online networking in order to get a job?

The answer to this one is a simple and straightforward “yes”.

Here are nine reasons why you should be using online networking in your job search.

Join Mapertunity

1Your Name
2Choose ID
3Contact Info
4Tell Us About You
5Your Resume

Why Should You Use Online Networking in Your Job Search?

1. It Saves Time

Online networking may not bear as many results as traditional networking, but you don’t have to attend an event in-person either! Instead, you can simply click the mouse a few times and attend the equivalent of three or four in-person events at once. Considering the wear-and-tear on your car, along with the aggravation of waiting in traffic, this will save time and money. Although no one is suggesting that you forgo in-person networking altogether, online networking makes for an efficient supplement to your in-person networking efforts.

2. Everybody’s Doing It

Okay, so we all know that following the leader can be a bad plan, especially when the leader is walking off a cliff. However, in the job hunt, any advantage that you pass up will be used by your competition. So, ignoring something as useful as online networking is a bad move. If you choose not to use it, your competition will, and they will use it ruthlessly in order to snag great jobs before you can.

3. Some Jobs are Only Available Via Online Networking

Some positions may only be obtainable via online networking. Not participating will cost you your chance to interview for those jobs. This is especially damaging if you’re looking for a job in a specialized field. Ignoring online networking in this instance would greatly hamper the results of a specialized job search.

4. It Allows You to Investigate Jobs Across the Country and the World

One of the major limitations of in-person networking is the limited area that you can cover by yourself. Unless you have access to a jet aircraft, your range when doing networking in-person is probably less than 100 miles. When using online networking, you can talk to almost anyone in the world. This makes online networking invaluable in the job hunt.

However, finding jobs in different areas of the country is only one benefit of online networking. You can learn new tricks associated with your career that may not be common in your area. Work strategies change all the time, and online networking can help you keep up.

You can also catch up on news happening thousands of miles away that may affect your job prospects. For example, if the West Coast needs employees with your field of expertise, and you’re based on the East Coast, you may never know it, unless you network online. With online networking, your physical location simply doesn’t matter.

5. You Can Advertise Your Expertise

Just by participating in online networking, you’re advertising your knowledge of the career you’re pursuing. You can show your usage of specialized terminology, demonstrate useful skills, and show that you’re a reliable employee.

You also can send prospective supervisors links to your blog (you are writing a blog, right?) as well as linking to articles that are appropriate. Again, this will show that you’re dedicated to your job, as well as establishing yourself as a bit of an expert in the subjects you study for work.

You also will be seen as a problem solver. Being able to solve problems is a skill that can come in handy at any company and is highly sought after. These advantages could be yours if you participate in online networking.

6. Avoiding People (and Companies!) You Dislike

With in-person networking, you need to greet almost everyone in the room. Otherwise, you run the risk of alienating companies or individuals, which is never good when you’re looking for a job. However, with online networking, your preferences aren’t known to everyone in the virtual room. You can mute people, omit certain companies from networking lists, and generally tailor your virtual interactions with others as much as you want. This type of control is only available via online networking.

7. Finding Friends and Allies Through Online Communication

Similarly, online networking is a terrific way to make friends and create lasting relationships. After all, you already know you have something in common with the other person – your profession. If you enjoy talking to an individual online, a friendship may develop.

While friendships may seem inconsequential, life balance often leads to personal and professional success. The value added by friends to your life should not be ignored and having a strong support system in trying times, such as looking for work, is never a bad thing.

8. Online Media May Efficiently Showcase Your Abilities

Have you ever been at a loss to explain exactly what you do for a living?  Trying to explain a complex job at an in-person event can be nearly impossible due to noise and distractions. What if you made a video and posted it on-line? The video doesn’t need to be expensive. It just needs to show people what you do for a living.

There are other tools available online which may help in this situation. Making a presentation regarding your career could be useful, for example. Even making an audio recording may help. Of course, making a website is always recommended.

While this tactic can help both your online and in-person networking, the technology is only available if you choose to participate in online networking.

9. Learning Online Networking May Help with Job Skills

If you tend to shy away from computers, online networking may help you build confidence in your technical abilities. Online networking is a friendly way to understand that computers are just tools and aren’t anything to fear. Certain file types and terminology routinely encountered in online networking are used throughout the computing field, and you may be able to familiarize yourself with software skills that are in demand right now.

Avoid Online Networking at Your Peril

As you can see, online networking offers many different benefits. While it may be more comfortable to remain in a “safe” zone regarding computers and electronics, this attitude can be dangerous for your career. Don’t be timid. Try online networking today!

If you’re an experienced employee looking for the ideal career, contact us at Mapertunity! We’re here to help.

Learn to Navigate Today’s Job Search with These 8 Tips

Today’s job market doesn’t really bear a resemblance to the job markets of yesteryear. The modern job seeker needs to be internet- and computer-savvy, understand the basics of marketing themselves, and be outgoing as well as flexible when it comes to finding that perfect job.

Join Mapertunity

1Your Name
2Choose ID
3Contact Info
4Tell Us About You
5Your Resume

 

8 Job Search Tips to Get the Right Job

Here we share a number of job search tips which will help the modern job seeker find the perfect position:

1. Tailor Your Search

This advice seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many job seekers apply for positions that are unsuited for their abilities. While it may seem as if “the more resumes that are out there, the better,” job searching is not just a numbers game. Finding a happy medium between deluging businesses with resumes and being too picky is the key to success in job hunting. It may take a little while before the job seeker gets it right.

2. Consider Higher Positions

This job search tip goes against the previous point, which shows how complicated job seeking has become. If an advertised position opens up that may require a job seeker with a bit more experience or a few more skills, the savvy job seeker may try for it anyway, realizing that companies rarely hire the “perfect” fit, instead conducting some sort of on-the-job training. This advice can obviously be taken to the extreme—try to avoid applying as a schoolteacher if you’re a fighter pilot, but the premise makes sense.

3. Learn to Network

Unfortunately, it’s much too easy for job seekers to simply send resumes to companies all day. However, many times, this approach isn’t fruitful. Instead, what job seekers must do is get out of the house or apartment and meet people in the industry they are pursuing. All sorts of events await the savvy job seeker, and many of them are more helpful than simply sitting in a dark room pressing the “send” button and waiting for something to happen.

4. Beware Social Media!

While legitimate use of social media such as LinkedIn can definitely be an aid to job seekers everywhere, social media can also be a detriment. Complaining about past employers on Twitter? Groaning about Monday on Facebook? If these profiles are open to the public, it will be very difficult to keep prospective employers from seeing them, and they may judge harshly. At the very least, keep all profiles set to “private,” and perhaps consider getting rid of those accounts altogether.

5. Career Blogging – Better Than a Resume?

While many forms of social media can be harmful to the job seeker, some forms of publicity can actually help! Writing a blog regarding the field that the job seeker is interested in pursuing is useful and gets a potential employee’s name out there without feeling too pushy. Potential employers may take note of the job seeker’s blog and may even hire because of it. As long as a blog is competently written, it can only help the savvy job seeker.

6. Have a Plan Before Jumping Ship

Some job seekers get so fed up with their current positions that they quit before having anything else lined up. This is a mistake. No matter how much the job seeker hates their current position, they should try to tough it out while looking for other work. It’s always better to be working from a position of relative abundance instead of desperation. Besides, one of the worst red flags for anyone to have on a resume are numerous positions that the job seeker has resigned from or otherwise voluntarily left.

Also, for those job seekers that “just can’t stand another day” at the office, most unemployment insurance only covers individuals who are terminated or fired. It does NOT apply to individuals who voluntarily leave their jobs.

The employee should consider speaking with a supervisor if they are unsatisfied with their positions. It may take a while, but something they would prefer could become available within the company, making a further job hunt moot.

7. Appearance Makes A Difference

Unfortunately, when looking for a job, many of us are our own bosses, and we make lousy supervisors. Many job seekers tend to fall out of strict personal grooming habits and take on a familiar “looking for a job” aura, with messed-up hair, glazed eyes, and in the case of those who shave, perpetual five o’clock shadow. This tendency should be quashed.

Inevitably, the rumpled job seeker finds themselves in awkward situations, whether it be accidentally bumping into a former work colleague at the grocery store or having a coincidental meeting with a CEO at a restaurant. Life gives multiple opportunities, but always favors the prepared. While no one is saying that a job seeker should always dress in business attire and have all clothes freshly pressed, looking reputable in these situations goes a long way towards making the most of any chance meetings that the savvy job seeker may encounter.

8. Spend Time (and Only a Little Money!) on Self-Care

Searching for a job is more stressful than having one in many ways. The savvy job seeker understands that coming from a place of relative calm is the best way to achieve goals, and so indulges in relaxation occasionally. While it can be easy for a job seeker to punish themselves for not having a job by working non-stop to get one, layoffs happen to everyone, not every person is a good fit for a company, and many of us have gone through periods without work.

Instead, occasionally, it may be more fruitful to indulge a bit. Buying a favorite dessert, going on a walk to the park, or enjoying a free museum day can all recharge the batteries and allow for a bit of perspective on the job hunt. The job seeker should always be aware that their worth as human beings is not tied to their financial productivity.

Hang in there!

Navigating the complexities of today’s job market isn’t easy, but it is possible. With the right tools, training, and attitude, nearly any obstacle can be overcome.  Hopefully, our job search tips will help any job seeker achieve their goal, which is fulfilling and sustaining employment.

If you’re looking for a job in your area, make the hunt easier by creating a profile in Mapertunity. With your address, employers can find you based on your proximity to their job. Get yourself on the map now!

More Reading and Related Topics: