How to bounce back after not being selected for a role?

Question

Hi all,

I recently completed my final round interviews at a consulting firm, which went really well. I got positive feedback from all my interviewers, including the partner, and was left with a great feeling. Ultimately, I was not selected due to a lack of available positions (only one role was open), and the recruiter told me that everyone was genuinely impressed with me and wanted to keep in close contact over the next few months. I'm trying to be proud of myself for making it this far, but I can't help but feel extremely disappointed that this opportunity didn't work out. Does anyone have any advice on how to bounce back? At this point (24 hours post-rejection), I am dreading having to go through the networking, recruiting, and prep process again. Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi, firstly congratulations on the feedback from the firm. It is unfortunate that they don't have enough positions available but you can take confidence from your performance and know that you are well-prepared to tackle other applications and interviews that you might have coming up.

Give yourself a few days to rest and reset - as you said, the outcome is still fresh and hard to get around to. Then, assess what applications/interviews you would like to focus on while you continue to stay in touch with this firm.

If you have any specific concerns on your mind, happy to discuss further.

Answer 2

Hi there,

Take a moment to be proud of yourself - passing the bar at a top firm is a massive win. Give yourself a few days to be frustrated and recharge.

To keep the door open, I suggest to make sure you have the names of everyone you met, especially the Partner, and send them a quick LinkedIn invite to stay connected. In a couple weeks, send a short note to the Partner and Recruiter thanking them again for the positive feedback and mentioning you would love to check back in as the team grows. Partners don't like losing great talent to timing, so staying on their radar makes it easy for them to call you the moment a new spot opens up. I hope this helped! :)

Answer 3

Hi there,

This is essentially the best rejection you can get. It means they like you, but not enough for this year (i.e. not enough slots, or they need you to develop further).

Make sure to spend the next year really strengthening your profile!

Next time around get your resume professionally reviewed by a coach and figure out an optimal networking strategy (a coach can also help here).

In the meantime, keep applying to other firms - plenty of great opportunities out there!

Some more reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks
https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/application-tracker