I love to say, You are The Talent and if things do not work out in the job search you just need to persevere and move forward.  I can however tell you, that being rejected at any phase in your job search is hard. It will be hard. No matter how much you prepare, maybe not getting called at all, or maybe getting screened or maybe getting interviewed may result in a rejection. It is hard. Recently, I went on two separate interviews with two seperate companies. One interview led me to California, which was about 767 miles away from the place I call home. It was a panel interview. I imagined they wanted a one and done type of thing. I thought it went well. I never, ever heard from them again. I never so much as got a Thanks But No Thanks email, which is at least a courtesy. I told myself I did not want to work for someone who didn’t even respect me enough to thank me for the day I literally spent making my way there and back.

The second interview, took me 430 miles out to Phoenix, but the job was in Las Vegas which was 731 miles away from my home. This time, I had already gone through a screening by a recruiter, a phone interview with my potential boss, and then the interview in Phoenix was with the leadership team. My final interview was a phone interview with a regional president. Again, four interviews in, and hundred of miles down, I thought it went well. I patiently waited for my offer. A  week went by then two. Nothing. Almost three weeks later, I got the reconciliatory Thanks But No Thanks email and a promise to keep me in the queue for future opportunities. I had mixed feelings about this. I thought after four interviews, the difficult part would be: a) determining if the offer was really good enough, and; b) trying to decide if I wanted to uproot my family, sell my home and start over. There was something exciting about the unknown but on the bittersweet side, I had laid down roots. My children considered our current location to be home. I thought I was okay with this. They had made it easy for me. No decision to be made, and technically, I was fine were I was.  

But then then the rejection sunk its teeth into me. What had I done wrong?

I think what is important about the interview process is that this is the equivalent of dating. Can you see yourself with this partner or do you see yourself with this partner for any period of time? Anytime I interview, I always want to express to my potential employer that I am looking for a good fit. The last thing I want to do, is force a relationship that is just not going to work.  It needs to be a good fit; a perfect fit even.

So what do you do, after you have been rejected and yet you know your worth? You know you have worth! I will say it again, look for a good fit. Accept that the employer who rejected you either saw that you would not be a good fit, or they think they found someone better. Walk away. You are The Talent! You get to start over and look again. Head up, look forward, and keep your mind and your options open. Eventually your offer, and the opportunity to shine will present itself. It is inevitable.

Dr. Raya
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Something good is about to happen!