Interview after interview goes by with no offers - and that is when you can actually get an interview. Depression sets in. Why don’t they want me? What am I doing wrong? Being in the job market can play havoc on self-esteem. The feeling of constant rejections can make any candidate start to question their self-worth. Insecurity and self-doubt are not far behind. What should you do?

While nothing can take the place of actually being offered a job, the focus truly needs to be on increasing your self-esteem. Constant reject has a tendency to have a "deer in the headlights" look of desperation after a number of interviews. There are facts you should focus on (and work on) in order to get past the “I didn’t get hired” blues. Low self-esteem is practically tangible when a candidate is interviewing. Instead of focusing on selling yourself to the hiring manager, you are more focused on “poor me.”

What facts do you need to focus on to improve your self-esteem? You need to realize that there are literally thousands of applicants for almost every job. In fact the easier the job, the harder it is to actually get the job. Why? Because so many people are giving up applying for higher paying jobs and trying to focus on getting whatever they can get. Understand that if you are getting the interview, you are actually beating out thousands of other applicants of which hundreds most likely qualify for the position. Take pride in the fact that you screened through to an interview. In other words, you must be doing something right. Let that confidence shine through!

Out of the ten to twelve (possibly more) candidates interviewed for a position, interviewers are hearing the same responses over and over again. One poor word choice or one slip of the tongue could play a factor in whether or not you get hired. Hiring managers often agonize over who to hire, especially when the scoring is close between candidates. There are two ways you can think about it. You can think, “Close but no cigar,” or that you actually came very close. If you often come close, but don’t receive offers, take time to ask the hiring managers where you can improve. Understanding the factors that resulted in your not being offered a position will go a long way in alleviating anxiety and self-doubt.