You applied….but you’ve heard nothing. It is an agonising wait, constantly checking your phone to see if the employer has called or e-mailed offering you an interview.

Find out 

If there is nothing in the job advert which says when the employer is planning to hold interviews, send a short email or call the employer to ask if you’ve been shortlisted. If you didn’t get shortlisted, at least you know. If they haven’t shortlisted yet, ask them when they are planning to hold interviews. If the date for interviews has already passed…you didn’t get an interview, but you are going to be okay. And here’s why:

If your application was good and you met every essential and desirable attribute the employer listed– someone internal probably got the job. You didn’t stand a chance. Don’t sweat over it. You have an awesome application form to use now – one you’re really proud of which makes the most of your skills, experience and anything else that’s awesome about you. That is going to save you time in your next job application because you can use parts of it again – you’ll be thankful for it!

If you filled in the application 5 minutes before the deadline as you were browsing Indeed.co.uk while watching Love Island, maybe it wasn’t your best effort. Realistically, other applicants may have taken four days to write their application and got a friend to check the spelling. You missed out, that’s the way it goes. Make sure you have registered with job sites and set up job alerts on your phone so as soon as something comes up in the kind of work you’re looking for, you know about it and give yourself time to submit your best application.

If you applied and you knew you didn’t have exactly what the employer was looking for but you applied anyway, good for you! You went for it. Sometimes it pays off - this time it didn’t. The next employer might be looking for someone with transferable skills who they can train…..so keep applying. If it’s a specific job you really want, but you know you are missing something employers always ask for….find out what you need to do to get it. It might be experience you need that you can get volunteering, or through a short course. Whatever it is, don’t give up on your dream job – just work out what you realistically need to do now to get it.

Allow yourself to feel disappointed

It is normal to feel disappointed you didn’t get an interview - especially if you had to work that out for yourself as they didn’t even let you know.  Allow yourself to feel disappointed.  But then, allow yourself to start looking for jobs again. You’ll find one that you’re more suited to, with a company that is right for you. It is hard out there and you are doing well. This is how applying for jobs works – you apply, you hear back or you don’t hear back.

Try not to hedge all your bets on one job – it’s always best to have several applications in so you’ve got more options in case one doesn’t work out.

Good luck!

If you need help looking for a job, come by our Job Club or ask for one to one Careers Advice.