2 Reasons why you should not get discouraged while job hunting

Job hunting can be very stressful, emotional and frustrating at times, especially in South Africa. Because our country has an unemployment rate of 25%, looking for a job could be a process that spans a few weeks, months or even years. The reality of the situation and the negativity that goes along with not finding a job or being turned down for a job you were interviewed for could leave an individual to feel discouraged.

I know it’s tough out there, but if you are still jobless or if you have been turned down for a position, you should not be discouraged from moving forward and today I’m giving you two reasons why.

Reason 1 – Remember: Perseverance wins

To quote Dale Carnegie “Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

These words are so true and relevant when it comes to job hunting and life in general. Do you think that Nelson Mandela gave up on achieving his dream of achieving democracy in South Africa when he was jailed in the 1960’s? Do you think that Joan Jett gave up playing music after 23 record companies rejected her “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” song in the early 1980’s ? Do you think Baby Jake Matlala gave up boxing after he lost his first fight? None of these individuals gave up and achieved success in their respective fields and you should not be giving up either.

The fact is if you keep on doing what you are doing and you are doing it well you will eventually be successful. Perseverance definitely wins. Success doesn’t happen over night, it takes a lot of hard work. Just ask anyone who achieved success and they’ll tell you the exact same thing.

Reason 2 – Rejection is the not end of the world

In the words of Kelly Cutrone “When you’re following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.”

For argument’s sake, let’s say that you applied for a position, but your application for a job was not successful because the company you were supposed to work for chose someone else for the position. You could choose to crawl up into a bundle and cry about it, but you really shouldn’t.

If you get rejected for a position after an interview, don’t take it too personally. If a company rejects you it’s mostly likely NOT because they don’t like you. Reasons for rejection differ from individual to individual and company to company, but most likely you may be over-qualified for the position or your personality might not be a perfect fit for the company.

Think about it this way: You may not be the right candidate for the position you applied for in this case, but you could be the right candidate for the next position you apply for. You learn from every interview experience, so you’ll be better prepared for your next interview.

Here’s a little story to motivate you not to give up when you have been rejected:

Brian Acton, applied for a job at Facebook in 2009 and got rejected. This didn’t discourage him and company co-founder Jan Koum (who is originally from the Ukraine) from moving forward with their own company, WhatsApp (a multi-platform mobile messaging application). Just check the tweet Acton sent about it below:

Facebook turned me down. It was a great opportunity to connect with some fantastic people. Looking forward to life’s next adventure.

— Brian Acton (@brianacton) August 3, 2009

Today WhatsApp has more than 450 million users globally and last week it was announced that Facebook is buying the company for $19 billion. This inspirational story is proof that miracles can happen, everything does happen for a reason and you should not give up if you get rejected for a position.

You probably feel motivated like the woman in the photo above this paragraph now, so what are you waiting for? Register your profile and CV, browse for jobs and apply for them on Job Mail today! Feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is caring.

Watch this space for regular updates for job seekers on the Job Mail Blog.