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Successful people don鈥檛 sidestep failure; they accommodate it, cope with it and move on. That鈥檚 not to say you shouldn鈥檛 nurse your bruised ego and retreat for a few days but don鈥檛 allow failure or rejection to define you. Give yourself a little time to mourn what might have been but then make a conscious decision to move forward. Resilience, not resignation, is the key to career success.

Know when to let go

Now, I鈥檓 the first to concede this is easier said than done 鈥� it鈥檚 perfectly natural to have a powerful negative response to disappointment, failure or rejection. Allow yourself to feel it, own and even wallow in it鈥�.for a short while. But investing all your emotional energy in feeling bitter or resentful robs you of the impetus to keep moving. It鈥檚 very easy to slide into 鈥渨hy me?鈥� rather than take the counter-view, 鈥渨hy not?鈥�

Don鈥檛 waste time worrying about your peers or friends: comparing yourself to others can often lead to inertia. Luck and talent are not evenly distributed and bemoaning what you haven鈥檛 got or can鈥檛 do, will not move you any closer to achieving your goals.

Take control

You might think this is an inherent contradiction, but it鈥檚 just the flip side to 鈥榣etting go鈥�. Resilient people have an acute sense of their own agency and know precisely what they can 鈥� and can鈥檛 鈥� control. Accepting the inevitably of external factors, doesn鈥檛 make you a passive bystander in your own fate. There are plenty of things you can do to put yourself back in the driving seat, whether it鈥檚 getting your applications checked, or arranging some interview practice.

Invest in yourself as a person, not just a job-seeker, and find ways to build your self-confidence. Don鈥檛 let circumstances define you, so if you鈥檙e stuck in a stop-gap job (and most of us have been there鈥�) then think of other ways to keep on track. Take the opportunity to learn a new skill 鈥� not only will you feel a sense of accomplishment but it could also boost your job prospects.

Keep a sense of perspective

This advice can be really ill-considered and ill-timed. You鈥檝e only got to spend a few minutes on Twitter to see the power of the #firstworldproblems hashtag to belittle, demean and close down debate. Finding a sense of perspective doesn鈥檛 mean making crude comparisons between global poverty and job search woes. You have a legitimate right to feel frustrated, so ignore people who try to trivialise your concerns. Adding guilt to anxiety is a recipe for disaster! What I鈥檓 suggesting is a more balanced, relative approach. It鈥檚 understanding that 50 job applications and 2 interviews is actually a pretty good ratio. Or recognising the need to have a plan B, C and D.

Cultivate your relationships

There鈥檚 no way to future-proof yourself from failure or disappointment, but a strong social network can help you through the tough times. You don鈥檛 need to have a cast of thousands to see the benefits: a few good friends, or close family members can make all the difference. Avoid toxic friends who take pleasure in your misfortune and try to establish mutually supportive relationships. Talk to people you trust and ask for their perspective on your current situation. It鈥檚 tempting to become immersed in your own reality, but sometimes we need people to challenge and question our understanding of events.

And remember, altruistic behaviour can be a great way to bolster your self-esteem and self-confidence, so take time out to consider how YOU can help others. It鈥檚 not a one-way street.

Learn from failure鈥�

If you鈥檝e led a relatively charmed life untouched by failure or rejection, dipping your toe into the murky waters of graduate job hunting can come as a shock. It鈥檚 inevitable you鈥檒l hear a good few 鈥渘os鈥� along the way, and the first one probably hurts that little bit more. You can mitigate the negative impact by using the experience to learn and grow. I doubt there are many people who succeed first time, but what separates the successful from the also-rans is attitude. So, it didn鈥檛 work out 鈥� what have you learnt? What will you do differently? What鈥檚 changed?

Take every opportunity you can to solicit feedback and use this to refine your strategy and hone your technique. You may run into a brick wall occasionally but don鈥檛 let this deter you from asking next time. And if you still need convincing, try this quote from Samuel Beckett:

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better

Originally published by Helen Stringer

Revised by Student Opportunity in 2025