My rejection letters are piling up, what should I do?

In this highly competitive job market, rejections are all part of the process. After a while it can really start to get you down, but don’t lose hope! There are strategies that you can take to help improve your chances.

So, what should I do?

Get some feedback

Getting feedback can be crucial, but it is something we rarely ask for. On the odd occasion when we do ask for it, it’s not uncommon to receive the bland response of “we took someone who was more qualified or had more experience.”

To try and gain more useful insights it can be worth thinking about how you ask for feedback. Try writing a letter explaining why you were so interested in working for the company. Convince them of your interest and passion and show that you would like to apply again in the future. Explain that gaining some feedback could help you to prepare yourself for a future application and that you welcome any honest feedback they can offer.

Sometimes it can be impossible to get feedback from busy employers. If this is the case try and approach specialist recruiters from the industry that you are trying to get into. They may be able to have a look at your CV and have a chat to you about your qualifications and experience.

Talking to a careers adviser can also help. They may be able to spot something that you hadn’t and help you to further prepare yourself for future applications.

Become the perfect candidate

There are many things that you can do to increase your employability. Once you have some feedback, think about what will give you the best chances.

• Gain some experience – Volunteering, work shadowing, guest lecturing etc. could give you much needed experience.

• Complete some training – Getting some training behind you might put you ahead of the crowd.

• Do some freelancing – Could freelancing give you the up to date experience that you’re lacking?

Work your way up from the ground floor

If you find you can’t get the job you want straight away, think about other ways to get your foot in the door. Getting into a lower level role within the company that you want to work for might be the best way in. Once you’re in, you can gain the expertise, knowledge of the role and understanding of the company that you’ll need to work your way up.

Do you keep getting rejections and need to change your strategy?

Have you tried something different and been surprised by the results?

Get involved with the discussion below and share your experiences.