How to tackle job rejection and application fatigue

Discover top tips on how to navigate your job search and best set yourself up for success, from our Undergraduate Career coaches at WBS.

Validate your emotions

It’s normal to feel sad, angry, frustrated, (or any other emotion) about your job search. Try not to bottle in how you feel, or play this down, as this can intensify or extend the negative feelings. Accept that what you’re feeling is valid. Often our emotions are driven by our thoughts, so be mindful of any unhelpful stories you might be telling yourself, and try to treat yourself with compassion, like how you would talk to a friend. There is lots of support available through the wellbeing team if things are feeling especially difficult.

Take a break

Taking a rest break is necessary for staying productive and curbing feelings of burnout. Sometimes it’s the small things that help us to feel better – it can be as simple as walking in nature, getting a coffee with a good friend, or delving into a book you’ve been meaning to read, to help escape from the world for a few hours. Engaging in hobbies and other activities that genuinely bring you joy can also help you to remember your sense of identity outside of your career or academic progress.

Use feedback as a tool

Job searching can bring about a lot of uncertainty. The moment we submit that application or give it our all in an assessment centre, we are leaving the next steps in the hands of the employer. Of course, there’s also the competition - A recent ISE survey shows that the average employer received 140 applications per graduate job - a significant 59% increase on the previous year & the highest recorded in more than 30 years, so there is a reason why things might seem especially tough at the moment.

Whilst you can’t control this, the job market, or when you receive a response, if you can obtain feedback on interviews or applications, this can be a beneficial tool to moving forward. You might not be able to get this from the company, but WBS students have access to the WBS Careers Team who can support you through the journey. We can review applications, provide mock interview practice, or talk through where you could improve. Any feedback you do get, try not to take it personally. Instead, frame it objectively and see it through a lens of curiosity. Often, it’s not a reflection of your ability, it comes down to how you present yourself, or if you are the right fit for that particular role/company.

Try to use feedback alongside your self-reflection. Consider if there is anything you would do differently in your preparation for the role. Did you tailor your CV, craft a compelling cover letter, do your research, and practice your interview technique? These are all crucial to ensuring your chances of success.

Change your strategy

If the problem is simply the volume of people you are up against, have you tried looking at the hidden job market? It’s estimated that around 75% of job opportunities aren’t advertised through popular job sites, particularly roles with medium and smaller enterprises (SMEs), so this opens up a much wider pool of options, enabling you to beat the competition and even create your own opportunities. Additionally, it’s often a simpler hiring process.

Try creating a list of companies you would like to approach and find the most relevant contact to reach out to. Create a well-crafted and tailored email or LinkedIn message with your CV, speculatively asking about opportunities.

This is where networking and informational interviewing come in. From providing crucial insights about the industry, role or company you want to pursue, to connecting you to opportunities, don’t underestimate the power of speaking to people.

Remember there are always options

It’s important to be flexible and adaptable when things don’t work out the way that you may have planned. Rejection is completely normal and we speak to students and graduates all the time who hear nothing for months and are then presented with multiple offers. Others find that they didn’t receive offers from the companies or sectors they had in mind but took an alternative route and found themselves in a role which is an even better fit than they had first considered. Often their curiosity, openness to learn, and ability to take advantage of opportunities that have unexpectedly arisen, have led to success.

If you feel fixed by your career plan, consider shifting your mindset – you don’t need to find that dream opportunity immediately, and it won’t define the rest of your career. Reframe this by considering that you are taking the first step in a long journey; whatever you end up doing is ultimately going to build your skill set and will help you to understand more about yourself, and the industry, and further inform your future planning.