Turning Rejection into a Useful Tool

by Jan Nussbaum
Assistant Director for Professional Development

Whenever we are rejected by a potential employer for a position, it is a big let down, especially if we are one of the finalists. However, the potential employer must have seen many more positive things about us or we would not have made it to the final round of interviews.

I was recently reminded of how this kind of rejection can be turned around into positive assistance. A recent fellow GGU Law graduate was not selected for a position although he was a finalist. He contacted the person who had interviewed him for the position to get feedback and tips for an upcoming interview with another employer. The interviewer who had rejected him just happened to know the person he would be interviewing with and called to put in a good word. The fellow graduate was subsequently offered the job. He turned a rejection into a useful tool for helping him find employment elsewhere. We all should take this lesson to heart.