5/26/13 - 3 Ways To Minimize Job Rejection
By J.T. O'Donnell
http://www.careerealism.com/minimize-job-rejection/
So, you didn’t get the job. Or, you didn’t get the in-person interview after the phone screen. Or, maybe you didn’t even make it to the phone screen. They all share the same result: You got rejected… and it hurts.
One of the reasons I built CareerHMO was to help people cope with job rejection. Unlike professional salespeople, you haven’t had the opportunity to develop your ability to manage rejection.
Here’s why…
You Aren’t A Professional SalespersonIn other words, you don’t view rejection properly. You are a business-of-one who is “selling” their services to employers, right?
Well, the best salespeople have an incredibly high tolerance for rejection.
Actually, they don’t see rejection the way you and I do. They simply see it as a temporary “no,” that in time, with the right strategy and patience, has the potential to be converted to a “yes.”
Here’s What ‘No’ Really MeansTypically, when someone doesn’t understand what you’re presenting or selling, their natural response is to say “no” to the offer, disagree with you, or not believe you.
This is true whether you are asking them out on a date, trying to sell them a car, or trying to convince them to hire you!
They simply don’t have all the facts to support a “yes” response.
Good salespeople recognize the difference between not understanding and real “rejection.” Of course, successful people hear the word “no” just like everyone else.
But they understand “no” actually means: Give me more information.
Successful Job Seekers Face Rejection LessWhy? I’ll tell you…
To learn how to deal with rejection, it’s critical the potential employer clearly understands your value.
More importantly, it’s imperative YOU understand their needs, desires and problems in order to give them what they want. You can’t solve an employer’s problem if you don’t know what it is.
Minimize rejection with these three tips…
1. Do Your Homework - Before you make your “sales pitch” (a.k.a. submit your application) research thoroughly the needs, desires and problems of your employer.
Successful salespeople understand it is critical to get to know their customer first.
Yet, most job seekers will just jump right in and submit their resume without doing any real homework. As a result, they typically get a “no” response or rejection pretty early (i.e. never get the phone screen).
2. Listen With Your Eyes, Ears And Brain“Listening” goes hand-in-hand with doing homework.
It’s not enough to learn about your potential employer.
You have to use what you learn to internalize what they are about.
While you may not get to talk to someone directly, thanks to social media, companies often produce tons of material you can pay attention to to figure out what’s really important to them.
Better still, find someone who works there, or who has worked there and set up an informational interview so you can get a real feel for what matters to the employer. This will let you tailor your resume, cover letter and application so it stands out from the competition.
3. Customize Every Pitch - One size does not fit all!
Good salespeople heavily customize their pitches to prove they’ve done their homework and relate to their prospect.
If you’ve followed tips one and two above, you will have a good idea of how to shape your career tools so they really connect with the potential employer.
These days, tailoring your cover letters and resumes is expected. Talking about the employer in detail and relating back to your own experience is required.
You must also keyword optimize these tools and match them succinctly to the employer’s needs, or be prepared to to go in the “no” pile.
Sound Like Work? It Is!That’s why so many people aren’t good at sales!
But, here’s the good news.
If you worked inside CareerHMO, you’d slowly be improving your skills and learning to minimize rejection.
In fact, without even realizing it, you’d be learning to be a better salesperson for your business-of-one!
Follow the tips above… and if you need extra help then check out CareerHMO. Together we can help you close the ultimate sale – a new job!
About J.T. O'Donnell
Job Search & Career Expert. Syndicated Speaker & Author. Wife. Mother. CEO of CAREEREALISM Media.