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The tech industry is like a bullet train, constantly evolving, which makes it harder for candidates to get in. So, Job and interview rejection is a pretty common scenario in tech. If we look at statistics, only 20 percent of candidates make it to the interview round. So, out of 10 applicants, 8 face rejection. Most people face multiple rejections until they land their dream job offer, including the successful ones. Let’s see how we can get Job offers after repetitive Job /Interview rejections ?
Rejections are part and parcel of life. Whether on a professional, or personal level, every successful person has faced rejection. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, applied for 30 jobs and was rejected by all. Similarly, Brian Acton was rejected by Twitter and Facebook before co-founding WhatsApp.
There are many more examples of failure across history like JK Rowling, who faced rejections from 12 publishers, and Oprah Winfrey who was told ‘unfit for television’. These examples are proof that not rejections but your skills, and potential define you. Similarly, you can get hired after getting rejected as long as you don’t give up.
There isn’t any doubt that failure is heartbreaking, especially if you have got it a couple of times. However, handling rejection and moving forward is the first step toward success. You should learn from the failures and work on your weaknesses to turn rejections into opportunities. In this blog, we will discuss the strategies to help you bounce back stronger after facing rejection.
Top Reasons Why Tech Job Applications Get Rejected
To improve your chances of getting hired, you need to understand why rejections happen. Here are a few of the reasons candidates get turned down.
The competition is fierce.
Due to layoffs, thousands of people have lost jobs in the past couple of years. At the same time, fresh tech graduates keep entering the job market every year. The influx of job seekers makes it easy for companies to reject inexperienced and less skilled candidates during the process and go with the best fit.
Horrible Cover letter and resume
Even if you have great skills, a poor resume or cover letter can still hold you back. Applying for jobs is a serious business and you have to present yourself as the best candidate to impress employers. If your CV is not clear, well-organized, or customized to the job you want, you will keep getting rejections.
You don’t have enough skills/experience.
A survey reveals over 42 percent of job applicants face rejection because they don’t meet the skill requirements. Most candidates blindly apply for every job thinking they will improve their chances. But this is not fruitful and rather a waste of energy and time to apply for positions you don’t qualify for.
How To Turn a Job Rejection into an Opportunity?
Reflect on your rejection.
While we don’t recommend surrounding yourself in the shadow of failure, we do suggest reviewing and self-reflection. Take your time to sit back and think about your performance. Go through the process, rank your performance, and analyze what you could do better and where you did well.
You can also keep the feedback from the employer in mind while doing this. By doing this, you can figure out the gaps in your performance and fix them. For example, if you get feedback on your body language and communication, you can improve them before your next interview. There is always room for improvement, so use your rejection as a learning yardstick and shine.
Get Detailed Feedback
Most candidates don’t ask for feedback from the employers after getting rejected and the reasons are obvious. They just want to brush off the negative experience and never look back. But this isn’t the right approach. Feedback can be a significant learning opportunity so you must ask for feedback from the employers even if you are rejected.
Tip: Send a short, polite message after rejection. Ask them why you weren’t the right person for the role. If they state a generic reason for not hiring you, insist on a detailed assessment.
Most companies don’t do this voluntarily due to the large number of applicants for every position. But if you invest some time and effort into getting feedback from your end, it can give you a huge benefit. You can revisit the points in the feedback and work on feedback specific to your skills, or knowledge.
Revamp Your Resume and Cover Letter
If you’re not getting interview calls at all, it might be due to your ill-written resume or cover letter. Data reveals that over 80 percent of resumes are rejected in the initial screening stage and only 3 percent make it to the job interview stage.
A resume is like a marketing tool, which can either make or break the deal. If your resume is well-written, highlighting your skills, and accomplishments, and showing your potential, it can help you go to the next stage. But if it’s not, it may never make it past the first round. So here is what you can do so that your resume is not the reason you’re not selected.
Tips to improve your resume:
- Use numbers to show your impact. When you mention your responsibility in your previous organization, give numbers and actual figures to make it convincing. For example ‘improved customer retention by 30 percent’ or something similar.
- Keep your resume layout simple, and readable. Your resume should have a simple, readable font covering essential details in 1-2 pages.
- Use keywords from the job description so that your resume gets past the Applicant Tracking Systems, commonly used by recruiters to filter applicants and select the eligible candidates.
Tips for your cover letter:
- Don’t send the same cover letter every time. Modify the cover letter as per the job role and company. Studies show that 63% of hiring managers prefer candidates who write a cover letter tailored to their company.
- Explain why you want to work at the company and show how your skills make you best fit for the role.
- Share a quick story about a project in which you did well to show how valuable you can be for the company.
Refine Your Interview Skills
Even if your resume is great, it can only get you to the interview stage. You still need to shine in the interview and the best way to get better at interviews is to practice. Practicing through mock interviews or with friends is a great way to get a feel of the real interview.
A mock interview will give you insights into your body language, communication, and other areas where you need to work. There are plenty of online interviewing sites where you can practice. Along with this, you can practice in front of the mirror, which is also great for self-confidence. You can also record yourself and watch how you did.
Some tips for interviews;
- Be clear and honest. Don’t be in a hurry to answer. Think well and reply.
- Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer behavioral questions:
- If you’re applying for a tech job, also practice coding challenges so that you don’t get stuck on tech questions.
Build Skills and Connections
Every rejection is a chance to improve yourself. So, instead of feeling lonely, turn to the community for support. You can join interactive coding platforms like Code.org, StackOverflow, and GitHub to interact with your peers. These platforms are great for learning and improving without pressure.
You can test code, understand how things work, and even work with others to solve challenges. While you are rebounding, these platforms will help you gain confidence as well as grow your skills. You can also join tech events, forums, or LinkedIn groups to get advice and support during your tough time.
Identify The Weak Areas and Learn New Skills
The tech industry moves faster and the most common reason candidates are rejected by the companies is because they lack the skills employers want in their candidates. As companies are pivoting towards skill-based hiring, many candidates are facing rejection due to their outdated skills or knowledge.
So, to make an impression in your next interview,
- Make a note of the skills you need to polish as well as the skills you need to gain an edge in the application process.
- Search for the key skills in the description of the job posts made by the top tech companies. Learning those key skills is a ticket to those jobs.
- Join an upskilling program or technical course to sharpen your existing skills as well as add new tech skills.
You need to match the industry needs and the only way you can do this is to work with experts who can help you understand the industry requirements and prepare you for the best jobs in tech.
Working in the industry for more than a decade, SynergisticIT has helped clients and candidates match up. We connect companies with highly skilled trained talent. Here is what we do and how we do it.
- We start by getting to know the candidates. We learn about your strengths, your goals, and the skills you already have. Then, we look at what today’s top companies are asking for.
- Once we identify the gap, we guide you to the right training so you can build the skills that matter. Whether it’s Coding, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, or Artificial Intelligence, we help candidates gain the most relevant skills. Our programs are designed to teach not one skill but a combination of tech skills to help you get through the highly competitive tech job market.
- After you are skill-ready, we begin marketing your skills. We help you connect to the top tech clients from our network. We support you throughout the job process right from resume editing, to interview preparation, and don’t leave your hand until you get your dream job.
Conclusion
Rejections in life are inevitable so it’s okay to fail. The important part is dealing with the rejection and getting better with time. Through the journey, learn from the failure and become stronger in your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and soft skills. By building new skills, and improving yourself, you will be able to stand out.
As you keep learning whether through SynergisticIT or on your own, make sure to bounce back from hard times. If you keep trying, stay open to learning, and use good strategies, you will build a future-proof career.
Since 2010, SynergisticIT has helped 1000’s of job seekers thrive in the tech industry. At SynergisticIT, we make candidates work on technologies and skills our clients demand.
Our unique approach goes beyond training, offering hands-on project experience. We also have a marketing team to promote your skills, so you don’t have to. Check out our candidate outcomes page to see the success stories.
We also participate in industry events like Oracle Java One and the Gartner Data and Analytics Summit, offering excellent opportunities for brand recognition during your job search. Be sure to watch our event videos for more insights.
Oracle CloudWorld Event from 18th to 21st Oct 2023 _ SynergisticIT (wistia.com)
SynergisticIT @ Oracle CloudWorld 2023, Las Vegas (wistia.com)
SynergisticIT at Gartner Data and Analytics Summit 2023 (wistia.com)
SynergisticIT at Oracle Cloud World, Las Vegas 2023 (wistia.com)
Furthermore, we have a vast network of clients with whom we can introduce your resume. Since we have been in business since 2010, our brand name association increases your chances of being considered by potential employers. Please visit our Transform Your Future with SynergisticIT | Candidate Outcomes page to learn how we have helped Tech Jobseekers and how we can jumpstart your tech career!