Job hunting can be a tough and disheartening process. It is painful at times. Aside from the countless hours spent crafting cover letters and preparing for interviews, rejection is an unavoidable companion. Though The Resume Rescue has written on it before, there’s always more to this topic to discuss.
The Emotional Cost of Rejection
A recent survey by the recruiting platform Joblist, which analyzed the experiences of 1,000 job applicants, shed light on the emotional toll of job searching and some key insights. While successful candidates typically applied for ten or fifteen roles, on average they received six to ten rejection letters.
This study found that job seeker’s confidence levels took a hit after five rejections. Around two thirds shifted the search focus. Among those individuals, there were several responses: 36% sought therapy, 34% paused their job search entirely, and 30% returned to school.
The most cited reason for rejection was a high number of applicants (43%).
How to Stress Less
When you hit “send” on the application, do not dwell on it. Another tip: don’t get overly attached to a job you haven’t secured yet. If you move to the next stage, celebrate. If not, move forward without hesitation—onto your next stellar application.
Look at it from the employer’s perspective for a moment. Think about the advertising world. Every day, you’re bombarded with thousands of sales messages—on billboards, social media, and TV. How many of those do you actually respond to? Only a tiny fraction. That’s the reality of marketing, and job applications are no different. When you’re job hunting, you’re marketing yourself. When the employer is reviewing your application, they are sifting through dozens, perhaps hundreds of resumes.
What Rejection Means
Remember, the world is full of success stories born from rejection. Entrepreneurs who failed before succeeding, writers whose manuscripts were repeatedly rejected, leaders who rebuilt after defeat—they all kept going.
Rejections are part of the journey, not the end of it. There’s no magic number of applications or rejections that determines success. Each application is a fresh chance to impress and connect with a recruiter. So, park your doubts, embrace the process, and make every single application count.
Despite the challenges, persistence pays off. Three-quarters of respondents eventually secured their dream job, though it typically took three months to achieve. Their top advice? Sharpen your interview skills, update your résumé, and continue developing new skills. Stay determined—even if your confidence falters, success could be just around the corner.
