Last week I wrote about how to stand out in the interview for a new job. I promised that I would write about what to do when you don’t get the job. I’ve been there before and it’s not easy.
You think you’ve nailed the interview. You’ve met with lots of people. You like them and your potential new boss. You think it’s a great opportunity and you are excited about the prospects. You anxiously wait for “the call”. And then it comes. The hiring manager, HR person, or recruiter says “we’re going in another direction” – that common euphemism to say that someone else is getting the job. They go on to say some nice things about you and that you interviewed well but all you hear is that you didn’t get the job.
Your friends and family are supportive. They may say “it wasn’t the right one anyway”. Or “something better will come along”. They tell you how to feel but what you want to say is what my youngest daughter would say to me – “you can’t tell me how to feel, you’re not inside my body!” Continue reading