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When you were not offered the job, here is some advice and steps you should be taking to pick yourself up and move on.

It is hard not to take job rejection personally, especially when you are well-suited and qualified for a role. The truth is that at some part of your job search, you are going to be turned down for a position that you really want. The experience of rejection can be impacting and hurtful. However, the key here is to turn this negative experience into something positive. It is important to learn how to deal with rejection and stay focused.

The very first thing you should do is take a step back. You might be quick to begin a lot of negative self-talk, but the reality is that the job market is more competitive than ever. You owe it to yourself to take a breath and remember that you probably made it further along in the process than other applicants.

If a company didn’t hire you, chances are you might not have been a good fit for them. If your rejection came as a form letter, consider this a blessing, because who wants to work for someone that doesn’t even take the time to respond personally?

Next, don’t go rushing off to angrily apply to other jobs. You’re not going to be thinking clearly, so your applications probably won’t be of high quality.

Focus on the good

Adverse events are often more affecting than positive ones, and that makes it easy to blow a job rejection way out of proportion. The best thing you can do here is to reach out to your trusted loved ones and your professional network. Yes, the rejection stings, and dealing with it by yourself is hard. Before you start back on the job search, give yourself a day or so to reset. This will ultimately make the process less stressful, and you’ll be more energized to find the perfect fit.

Do not blame yourself

You might have done everything perfectly and have a beautiful resume and still did not get the job. Do not take the job rejection as a statement about you personally. There might have been another candidate who had experience that is more relevant. Alternatively, maybe another candidate’s personality just clicked with the hiring manager. That does not reflect back onto you.

To help you move on, most employment experts recommend you focus on your strengths and make the rejection work for you, not against you. That means that you should remind yourself of your specific unique skills. Focusing on the positive instead of the negative can help you renew your job search energy to find what is perfectly suited for you.

Creating a list of your strengths and practicing self-awareness can help you switch the job rejection into the motivation you need to keep pushing forward. Remember that a job rejection isn’t a reflection on you personally. Take that to heart and resume your efforts with a clear mind.