So You Didn#8217;t Get the Job  That Doesn#8217;t Mean Your Relationship With the Company Needs to End

So You Didn8217t Get the Job That Doesn8217t Mean Your Relationship With the Company Needs to End You attended a series of interviews. You took time off of work. You bought a new suit. And you didnt get the job.After all that hard work, rejection stings especially badly.Its pretty awful when a company puts you through the ringer just to toss you aside in the end. Sometimes, they dont even notify you. They arent shopping for a new pair of shoes. Youre a person, and they should treat you like one.What do youdo once youve been rejected? If youre like most people, you stay as far away from the company as possible. They rejected you. Why would you want to pour salt in those wounds?This is a totally reasonable response but what if you chose to see the situation from a different perspective instead? What if this wasnta complete rejection? Maybe hiring had been put on hold, or another candidate had been preselected, or your salary history was a bit high for the role. Perhaps the hiring manager felt you were overqualified.We rarelyknow what the real reason for a rejection is. We tend to assume the company doesnt like us. But what if you decided not to take it personally? What if you looked at those interviews not as a dead end, but the beginning of a longer conversation?If you did this, you might reach out to the hiring manager again in the future. You might keep an eye on new jobs that crop up at the company. You might even meet up with someone from the team every now and then for coffee.Whats the worst that could happen? The hiring manager might get to know you better. They might really like you. They might call you the next time theyre hiring maybe even before the position is shared publicly.If you want to take this approach to rejection, you need to do two things first. Start by disengaging from the rejection. You have to be confident in yourself. Dont think This will never work Instead, think It wasnt the right fitthis time.Second, you need to recognize that this approach takes time. You wont immediately become the companys new top candidate. It could take years to build a relationship with the organizationthat rejected you but Id argue its worth it.If you take this approach across the board, you will grow your network mora than you can imagine. Instead of searching for new jobs, jobs willcome to you. Hiring managers will call you when you are a good fit. They will call when they can pay you enough and when they have jobs that really fit your skills.So, the next time youre passed over for a job, what will your next move be? Complete rejection or conversation starter?A version of this article originally appeared in theMemphis Daily News.Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm,Copeland Coaching.