When Rejection is a Good Thing
Having a stellar resume, calls from recruiters within 48 hours of applying for a job, and fantastic initial interviews are usually hallmarks of getting the job you want. But what happens when you experience final mile failure? Although disheartening after your expenditure of hope, mileage, and dry cleaning bills, this rejection may be a saving grace from years of unhappiness. Although you went to Prince Charming’s Ball, the glass slipper alas, does not fit.
As detailed by J. Maureen Henderson, “What’s happened is not that you’ve failed at the eleventh hour, but simply that you aren’t the right fit for this particular company or team’s vibe. For some alchemic reason involving factors such ego, personality, history, the team’s past and current dynamic, another candidate’s pheromones, team members’ career plans, etc., the right chemistry isn’t there.”
Here is a good time to examine the type of opportunities you’re going after and make changes if you have recognized patterns among rejections. Often these late stage rejections are business culture related. Maybe your history would be better with larger groups, or smaller. Maybe the startup requires you to be available all the hours of the week – who knows. But when the hiring manager takes a pass, it’s really not personal.
At the end of the day, your patience will pay off when you find the hiring manager/recruiter that finds the opportunity that’s a perfect fit for your skills and culture. Having a new job where nothing is in the way of your success is better for everyone in the long run.