What to do if you don't get the job

- Rejection, it's never fun to go through, and it's especially uncomfy when you get rejected by your own company. You may be thinking, "Oh no, "will my current manager want to get rid of me now too? "Well, this is going to be awkward," or, "How do I make sure I maintain my composure "through all of this?" Here are a couple of ways to handle the rejection should you not get the internal job. Hint, I promise you it's not the end of the world. Number one, have grace in the letdown. It's understandable to be disappointed. Just be careful that that disappointment doesn't breed into resentment, which can often evolve into anger. Have grace with the hiring manager, especially if it's your current manager. It's difficult enough to deny people you don't know for a job, let alone someone you do. Understand that they know what they need for this role and it's okay if you're not ready or not the right fit. It doesn't mean never, it just may mean not right now. Number two, do your work. It's easy to get distracted when interviewing internally. All your efforts go into the potential of this new role and that totally makes sense. Just make sure that if you do get rejected, you don't start neglecting your current work. You're still employed by the company and want to continue to perform at a high level. Slacking off won't help your case to move internally in the future, should you want to try again. Do your work and do it well. Number three, shift your perspective. I made friends with rejection long ago. In the early days of my professional life, I learned that the only pathway to freedom and advancement was through failure. It wasn't through perfection, it wasn't through positive experiences, it was through the very strong reality of being rejected. Once I made nice with rejection, he seemed to be a little bit less scary and I got a little braver. Instead of hiding from rejection, I embraced it. If you've recently gotten rejected from an internal interview, reframe how you think about it. Keep yourself moving through the rejection because I promise you, on the other side, are a million more successes. Don't let it keep you from trying again. All in all, rejection is not a fun experience, but if you have some grace, continue to exceed expectations, and shift your perspective, you may be able to look at this potential setback as a career booster.