What to do when things get tough 

Work can be depressing enough without piling on the days headlines. A blown sale, a bad review, Joe getting the promotion you really deserved...Of course if you think work is bad try coping with being out of work. Maintaining a good attitude while you job search is essential to your eventual success but it is rarely easy. You send out hundreds of resumes, cruise the job boards and have elevated cover letter writing to an art form. On that rare occasion when you  actually get see a response it's hard not to rejoice. Then you see those ugly words, kind of like a literary grenade: Words like "regret" and "unfortunately" fly like shrapnel. The key is to get back up, but don't just get up, get up swinging.

Career coaches often say "try not to take it personally". That is pretty hard after all, you were the one  rejected.  Would it help to know that you were one of the top 5 finalist for the position, an opening that had over 200 resumes submitted? Would you not feel better if you knew  you were very close to being the final choice? Well chances are you aren't going to be told all that information. The key; assume it was the case, then try to move on. 

Getting fired, getting demoted, or failing to be the person hired can all be traumatic events. A person will naturally progress through several emotional steps in the recovery process. The key is to make sure you progress. Don't stay down, don't dwell on rejection, Get up! You can regain the power by staying proactive. Maybe you feel an  interview didn't go well; I'll give you some insider information, the interview statistically is only a little better than flipping a coin when it comes to picking the best candidate. If you really want to work for a particular company, write a letter stating that you were disappointed that the position went to another candidate. Restate all the positive traits you could bring to the organization. Let them know you are still very interested in working for the company if something were to change or additional positions open up. Ask if they had specific concerns that you could possibly address.

When you get invited to interview, count that as a positive. You were selected above the others. If you are getting second interviews, you are obviously doing something right. Continue to work on your interview skills and rate yourself after each performance. Just like many other things in life, the more you do something, the better you get at it. Keep up the good work; eventually you will find the right place for you.

• Don't let rejections or even a series of rejections get you down.
• Acknowledge your feelings, but don't dwell on them.
• Choose action, not self-pity.