It happens to everyone at some point: your boss says no to your proposal, or your fellow team members nix your great idea. It can be a crushing feeling to be rejected at work, but there is a silver lining. You can learn to handle rejection and come out stronger because that’s what will help you when you begin your job search. Here are three ways to handle rejection at work that will prepare you for the road ahead.

Focus Your Emotions

If you’ve ever had a suggestion turned down or a request rejected, you’ve probably felt angry, embarrassed, and maybe even personally attacked. That’s because it’s natural to feel like you’re the one being rejected, and not just your ideas. But once you recognize these emotions, you can stop them from controlling you. Tell yourself it’s not personal, and that no one is rejecting you. It may help to talk to a friend or family member just to vent. Then, try to focus those emotions on a possible resolution. After all, you can’t move forward if your mind is clouded by anger at the moment.

Understand the Reason

Once your emotions are under control, it’s time to understand the reason behind the rejection. If your manager or coworkers didn’t tell you why they rejected your idea, look at it objectively and try to understand their point of view. Maybe you asked to attend a conference, but the timing was wrong because there was no more money in the department’s budget. Or perhaps you have a strong recommendation on how a certain project should be implemented, but the project manager has a different idea when it comes to delivering it to the customer. The first step in moving past any rejection is understanding the reason behind it. Of course, sometimes there is no apparent reason for the rejection. This can be the hardest thing to accept and move past, but there’s typically at least one reason underlying any rejection. If you feel the need to, you can speak with the other person privately and ask why your idea or request wasn’t approved. Just make sure that the other person knows you are not trying to further argue the point, but simply trying to learn from the experience.

Get Back up and Try Again

Now that you’ve gotten past the pain of rejection and you’ve hopefully learned the reason behind it, it’s time to get back on your feet and prepare for your next proposal or suggestion. This time, you’ll know how to fine-tune it based on the feedback you’ve received. You can even reach out to your manager or fellow team members to learn what they’d recommend you do differently this time. Remember to approach it calmly, without bringing any of the negative emotions from your last rejection with you. This is a fresh start, and if you feel optimistic, your attitude and demeanor will show it. Further, when others listen and speak to you, they’ll feel that same optimism as well. Coming back from rejection can be difficult, so you should congratulate yourself for having the courage to try again.

Conclusion

Rejection can happen at any point in your life. And while it stings when it happens at work, it can really get you down when it happens during your job search. Don’t let rejection define you. Instead, improve your situation and educate yourself so you can succeed the next time. Whether you’re just beginning your job search or have already been at it for a while, contact us today. Our team of staffing experts will help you get past the rejections so you can start succeeding on your job search in Hawaii.