How to Deal With Rejection During a Career Change

How to Deal With Rejection During a Career Change Dealing constructively with rejection is an important part of almost any job hunt, but especially when youre making a career change. When you switch industries or take on a role that doesnt quite fit with your previous experience, you have to be prepared for some pushback.According to psychologist Guy Winch, the same areas of the brain become activated when we experience rejection as when we experience physical pain. Indeed, the responses are so similar that over-the-counter painkillers have proven effective in lessening the emotional impact of rejection in controlled experiments.That said, dont reach for the paracetamol just yet. If you want to conquer your fear of rejection and change careers successfully, youll need to focus on your mindset. Here are some valuable lessons Ive learned about rejection during my own professional journey. Maybe theyll help you, too1. Ask for Feedback and Use It to Your AdvantageSometimes, your application will be met by an automated rejection email with no reply-to address. That is of no use to you. Trash the email immediately and put it out of your mind.However, in instances where you can actuallytalk to a person on the other end, take the opportunity to ask for honest feedback and be open to receiving it. When you have insider knowledge about why you didnt advance, you can address the issue to ensure it doesnt happen again.Whether its a poorly presented resume, a lack of experience, or an interview question you mishandled, almost any problem a recruiter or hiring manager can highlight will be helpful to your future success, as long as youre not defensive about it.2. Wait Before Replying to a Rejection EmailThis will give you the distance and perspective you need to compose a measured response, which will reflect positively on you if you apply with the same company in the future.I once sat through a particularly tense interview where there welche s a slight language barrier between the assistant hiring manager and myself. I was struggling to find common ground, but I saw her open up a bit when I spoke about my struggle with perfectionism. So, I expanded on the topic when she asked me to tell her about a weakness.A few days later, I got a rejection email from my recruiter. He told me the interviewer had named my tendency to become easily distracted by minutiae as a concern. I was stunned. That wasnt at all what I had said during the interview Writing back almost immediately, I was polite but made it clear the interviewer had misunderstood me.It was hard to make peace with being disqualified because of a misinterpretation, but once I did, I regretted that email to my recruiter. Had I given myself a day or two to think things through, I mightve sent a more strategic response. Instead, I got defensive and forgot to ask him about other openings.3. Spot the Blessings in DisguiseMy friend Cindy loves to spot the blessings in disgui se, no matter the situation. Your house could fall to pieces while you slept, and shed still find a way to spin it into a blessing. That wasnt the house for you, she might say. This was your way out.It took me a long time, but eventually I came to understand Cindys point of view, which hashelped me stay centered in times of both personal and professional disappointment. I now seemy fumbled answer to the weakness question as proof positive that blessings in disguise exist. It stopped me from getting a standort I was never actually enthusiastic about to begin with, and which I certainly wouldnt want today.When youre absolutely committed to a career change, the right opportunity will come to you even if you have to change direction halfway or make a mistake during an interview to find it. As for the rejection letters, go-nowhere phone calls, and unreceptive hiring managers youll encounter along the way? All blessings, constantly rerouting you toward better things.4. Watch Out for Micr o-Rejections in Your Personal LifeSometimes, the greatest resistance you come up against during a careerchange isnt from recruiters or employers but from the people whose support you were counting on most. A close friend at work may feel threatened by your abandoning the herd and consequently ignore the topic altogether. A family member may respond with a dismissive chuckle if you say youre going back to school for your dream degree.They may seem benign, but repeated micro-rejections like these can do real damage over time. If there is a person in your life who is prone to this kind of behavior, you probably already know who they are. Perhaps this is the moment to reevaluate just what information you want to share with them going forward. Besides, as you focus your energies on revamping your resume, job hunting, and preparing for interviews, youll find you wont have time for people who arent prepared to support you.Not receiving the encouragement you expected from people whose input you value is disheartening, but it need not be discouraging. In fact, persevering in spite of anothers lack of belief or backing is a common theme of success stories. If youre truly committed to your career change, you have to get confident and secure enough in own your ideas that other peoples hang-ups dont slow you down.Rui Betencourt is the editor ofRuibetencourt.com. Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.