How to Manage Rejection During a Job Search

Scott Sinclair on October 3, 2025

tags: Emotional Regulation, Job Hunting, Job Search, Self-Care

A job search can be filled with huge emotional ups and downs, especially for someone who is navigating the search after receiving a cancer diagnosis. There can be weeks that go by without hearing back from anyone. Or you could be in the final rounds and find out they went with the other person. All of this is incredibly normal and part of the process, but that doesn't mean your already on edge emotions won't get caught off-guard at some point, or feel feel defeated. Thanks to a recent article in Fast Company, there are some steps you can take to take to manage this self-doubt.

1. Give It 24 Hours
All of the feelings that might come up after receiving a rejection are 100% valid and trying to get rid of them, or pretend you're not feeling something will only exacerbate those negative thoughts. Still, you don't want to spend too much time in self-pity. After facing rejection, give yourself one full day to allow yourself to feel bad. This can help you process those feelings and move on from them. After the initial 24 hours, roll up your sleeves and figure out what your next step is.

2. Separate the 'No' from Your Self-Worth
Some people might question "What's wrong with me" especially if this is part of a series of rejection you have had to deal with lately. The truth is, so much of a hiring process is our of your hands and hiring decisions are often about so much more than just "Are you right for this job." It's a good opportunity to reframe a question like "What's wrong with me" into "What can I learn from this experience?"

3. Ask for Feedback
Speaking of learning from the experience, don't be afraid to ask for feedback. Your inner thoughts can spiral and come up with reasons you didn't get hired, most of which will probably be inaccurate, and therefor, unhelpful. If you got a rejection email, draft an email thanking them again for their time, and see if they can offer up any feedback. Know that there is a chance the response comes back with brutal honestly which could need it's own set of emotional regulation. More often than not though, it will be framed as constructive and could help open your eyes to something you were not aware of and help you grow for the next interview process. Or your request could be ignored completely, which is also ok. Just the act of seeking feedback shows your desire for growth in the process which is wonderful.

4. Don't Personalize Systemic Issues
As stated above, so much of a hiring process is out of your hands. Often an interview process might just be there to contextualize an internal hire they were always going to make, or there are unconscious biases that affect a decision that has nothing to do with you. We often hear people who come to CAC for guidance that

5. Talk To Someone
Stress and emotional regulation are both challenges to everyone looking for a new job, but can be especially true when you are also navigating decisions after a diagnosis. Speaking to a therapist, social worker, or even a friend or family member can help immensely. They can be a space to vent frustrations, bounce ideas off of, and contextualize feelings that you might be too wrapped up in to understand. Holding everything inside will only come to bite you down the line, so make sure to have someone you trust as a part of your team.

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