Getting a job is really hard sometimes, especially when you are just starting out in the working world. All the experience you have may be just a college internship, or maybe some sort of working experience in the form of one or more part-time jobs during school.

So you graduate, get your transcript together, get your resume written, send it out, and then you wait. A few days go by and then a company you really want to work for offers you the chance to come and interview for the job. Usually, the thought of an interview is a conflicting experience. On the one hand, you feel a rush of excitement as you realize that you are one step closer to a real job, a real income, and the start of a career. On the other hand, there is the nervousness of messing up during the interview, and trying to make a good impression.

The day of the interview arrives, and you get all dressed up, grab an extra copy of the resume, and practice some answers to the questions that you think you will be asked. You get to the interview site, and spend the next hour or so talking about the job, and how you fit in to the company.

You think that you had a great interview, and things seemed to go well. The interviewer seemed impressed, maybe you even got to meet some of the other mangers, perhaps took a tour of the facility. A few days later though, you get a call saying that you didn't get the job, or as is more common, there is no call back at all.

What now?

Despite the hurt feelings, don't spend too much time despairing the fact that someone else got the job you wanted. Just because you didn't get the job doesn't mean that you aren't qualified, or don't have the skills for the job. Before you even start to contemplate what went wrong, send the interviewer a thank you letter. This will send the message that despite the fact you were not chosen, that you appreciate the time spent considering you, and that you are a professional despite adversity.

After this, take some time and think about what went wrong during the interview. Some companies will actually provide feedback, but if they don't here are a couple of things that may have went wrong during the interview:

1. Maybe you were a fit for the job, but couldn't convince the interviewer that you were committed to the job for the long haul.

I have been in interviews where I could have had the job, but honestly, it would have been just a pay raise, and nothing more. The person doing the interview will know this, and will more likely give the job to someone who they see as a long term fit.

2. Perhaps another candidate had better connections.

The workforce is a who you know, as much as a what you know type deal. That can't be helped, and can't really be worried about.

So if you get rejected, don't despair, get the resume back out, and keep on sending to as many companies as you need too before getting a job. Getting that first job is the hardest, and once you get that, making headway in your career only gets easier. Keep at it and don't give up, and who knows, maybe in a few months that job that you wanted will open up again, and you may get another shot, and maybe the second time things will work out for the better.

Learn more about this author, Cody Hodge.
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