11 tips to help you move on from a job rejection

Often times when applicants submit their résumés, they go into a "big black hole, never to be heard from again."

If a company did not send you a personalized rejection letter, or otherwise made you feel like they did not value your time, Keswin says there is a good chance you would not have felt welcome once you got to the company.

"All of those things speak to company values and how they treat their people," she says. "I would look in the mirror and say 'Is that a really company I would be happy at?'"

For those feeling particularly stung, Taylor recommends reaching out to friends or family in your inner circle who can remind you of the bigger picture. Before you hop back into the job hunt, use the first couple of days to build up your self confidence. Reaching out to mentors for feedback or support can also be helpful, Taylor adds.

Send a thank-you email the day you get a rejection letter, as even a day later a hiring manager could be on to the next 12 candidates, Keswin says.

If you moved onto the interview phase, Keswin recommends reaching out to not just your recruiter, but the specific people who interviewed you, and thank them for taking the time to meet with you.

"You had a different type of connection with all of these different people," Keswin says. "You should try to make a personal connection in that email and say you hope to keep in touch.

A rejection letter doesn't have to close all doors: "Especially if it's a company you really thought you were interested in, you always want to leave things in a positive way to leave the door open," Keswin says.

Sometimes, when a new manager comes in and needs to hire, companies keep record of former applicants they liked so they can fill open positions. Other times, companies will reject applicants for a full-time position, but offer them contractual work, Taylor says. Maintaining a connection with your interviewer could lead to a job down the line.

The best way to know why you didn't get a job is to ask, Keswin says. As you send a thank-you note to interviewers, she suggests saying sorry it didn't work out, but if they had any specific feedback, you would love to hear it.

Taylor, however, says that this approach could backfire. Managers often don't have time to give detailed feedback to each rejected candidate, and asking them to take time out of their day for you could feel burdensome. "There's a 60/40 chance you're irritating them more than anything else," Taylor says.

Many times people apply to several jobs during the interview stage. If multiple of your applications come out unsuccessful, you might need to examine your skills more critically, Keswin says.

"I would urge people to really be honest with themselves to do a post-mortem analysis on what the issue was," she adds.

The first step is to figure out whether your rejections stem from missing skills or not being a culture fit. In the case of skills, it could be as simple as taking an online class and learning something new for your résumé.

If the reasons why you got rejected were because of not being a cultural fit, or if they were unclear, seeking professional help could go a long way, Keswin says. As a career coach at NYU, she helped qualified candidates during the financial crisis figure out which of their skills were transferable, then she targeted jobs that could use those skills.

A career coach helped Business Insider reporter Shana Lebowitz feel more empowered, and she learned how to make a roadmap to reach her goals. Career coaches can be expensive, however, so Keswin also recommends reaching out to university alumni networks first to get the same type of support without paying a fee.

If at first you were uncomfortable relocating or transferring your skills to other industries, the time following a rejection could be a chance to widen your horizons, Taylor says.

"Especially if you're willing to be flexible on the exact job description, widen your scope just a little bit," she says. "That may help your mindset."

Taking on a new job could mean sacrificing the flexibility you earned through years of working at your current job, Keswin says. One way to get over a rejection is to focus on what you have, rather than what you don't.

You can also build skills for when you do try to seek greener pastures: Take on a new project at your current job, or focus on growing your side hustle.

"If you realize the job search may be taking longer than you'd like, ask what are some positives you can focus on in other aspects of your life," Keswin says.

If a hiring manager tells you that you were a good candidate, but they found a "rock star," and they offer to keep in touch, don't take that information lightly, Keswin says. If you can figure out the skills you may be missing, you could try reaching out to similar positions at the company down the road. "It shows you're really interested in the company," she says.