For feeling frustrated after a job rejection despite feeling I did everything right?

[ThisLimeMoose]

I recently interviewed for a role I was really excited about. I prepared a full presentation, anticipated questions, and followed up promptly and professionally when they asked me for a copy of my presentation. The interview seemed to go well.

However, I’ve just been informed via email that I was unsuccessful. I don’t get what I did “wrong” because I feel I did everything I could: prepared, professional, and thoughtful throughout. They’ve declined to give feedback in their generic email.

AIBU for feeling frustrated and questioning what I could have done differently, even though I know some things are out of my control?

I did 50+ interviews before securing my current job. I'm well qualified in what I was interviewing for.

That was as a single parent with a young baby who desperately needed work after being laid off and my partner walking out when I pregnant. I had to organise babysitting for every one of those interviews and did things like cancelling my birthday plans to prep and deliver a presentation on my birthday, working at night when my baby was sleeping, so I was continuously very sleep deprived.

The feedback was often I was a good fit, but they already had someone they knew better i.e. internal promotion, someone the MD or CEO used to work with... I got little to no useful feedback. So much time wasting went on and I found it absolutely exasperating given the juggling I was doing and how much I needed paid work to support my child. Currently a year into my new role and don't want to go through that again...

Maybe you didn’t do anything wrong, but just others did better. I had to give some interview feedback today which was hard, as the interviewer did well, but others pipped him to the post as they had more experience.

The job market in the monent is insane. We are recruiting for one position, hundreds of decent applicants. interviewed 7, 5 of them very good….

If you really wanted to work for them specifically I'd reach out for feedback. Otherwise have an honest reflection, do you think there was anything? Often it's actually just that there was someone stronger on everything than you. You may have well have been great, but someone just fit better.

And....have a break, regroup, and put the frustration into looking for the next opportunity. Its a numbers game. My Dad worked on contracts mostly and his attitude was always that another one comes along - don't dwell.