You applied for a role and made it all the way to the final round of interviews. After the interview, you feel like you nailed it. But still, you get rejected from your dream company. Now what?

This news can be disheartening and discouraging but bear in mind that if you got as far as the interview stage, then you did extremely well because other candidates did not progress that far.

Here’s a few reminders to help you remain optimistic and motivated to continue with the job search:

1. Don’t take personal offence.

A job rejection is not a personal attack. The employment world is very competitive and so employers make their decisions based on the candidate they believe is best suited for the role and their company. So, your rejection has nothing to do with whether or not the interviewer liked or disliked you-it is more likely that someone with more experience or academic qualifications was hired.

2. Ask for feedback.

It can be frustrating not knowing why you were not hired for the role, therefore its worth asking for constructive feedback from the company. However, not all companies will provide this and sometimes it might be bland and not helpful. It’s important to seek out someone who can advise you for example an HR professional. If it turns out there are gaps in your skillset, consider enrolling for a course. It could give you a real advantage when you apply for other roles.

3. Stay positive.

Don’t keep focused on the fact that you did not get hired for the last job. Keeping positive and approaching new opportunities with optimism will be helpful in potentially winning over future employers. Tailor your CV and cover letter to best match a new opportunity and fully research and prepare for a new interview. If you made mistakes or felt unprepared in your last interview, learn from this but don’t keep it at the forefront of your mind, it will only make you doubt yourself.

4. Keep your momentum.

It’s very tempting to put your job search on hold while you wait to hear back about a role or after you've not got the role you'd hoped for, but it’s important to continue with your search until you have accepted a position. Continue to stay in touch with your network of professional contacts and maintain contact with your recruitment professionals. This kind of proactive approach nurtures your confidence, and also helps to prevent you counting on a role that doesn’t land in your lap.

5. Keep learning and developing.

When you get rejected for a role, it’s most likely you’ll lose confidence in yourself and skillset, so it’s very important that you work towards keeping your motivation levels high. It’s good to keep your skills sharpened and your experience up-to-date for example through volunteering, internship or training courses. This will help in creating a professional profile for you and also an experience background which most employers are interested in.

6. Keep informed on the latest available opportunities.

Keep an eye out on all the latest opportunities by monitoring all the sites and company websites when job openings are posted. Once you find something that fits with your interests, backgrounds, and experience, apply to it and carry out your research on the company just in case you’re shortlisted.