MPW内幕网络是美国的一个在线社区，美国商界内外的一些大咖会在这里及时回答与职业和领导力有关的问题。今天为大家分享的是FlyWheel Sports公司CEO萨拉•罗伯•奥哈根在“求职被拒时怎样面对？”这一问题下的回答。

曾经有人对我说过，找工作就像谈恋爱。无论是求职遭拒，还是你爱的那个人并不那么喜欢你，对自尊心伤害都是相似的。

就在去年，我辞去了上一份工作，专心写作一本名叫《极致的你》（Extreme YOU-Set Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat）的书。虽然那段时间我没有主动去找工作，却也有一些公司和招聘经理主动找到了我，提供了一些挺有意思的工作机会。我觉得不妨去参加几次面试，好搞清楚下一份工作应该朝什么方向努力。

其中有一次面试比较特殊——那是一家大公司的一个高级职位。这次“约会”的流程也和以往没什么不同，我应邀去了位于另一个城市的公司总部，和那家公司的几位重要领导见面。我很享受那次会面的过程，特别是跟那家公司的CEO很谈得来。不过当天晚上我回家跟老公说起这件事，我老公并没在我眼中看到他曾经看见过的小火苗。

几天后，招聘公司打来电话说，那家公司已经决定不录用我了。等等，什么？我明明跟他们很聊得来呀！他们怎么会不要我呢？我突然想到：“我以后找工作会不会到处碰壁？是不是辞掉一份光鲜的工作后就会发生这种事？我是不是就这样变成了一个无关紧要的人？”我有些慌了，这些疯狂的、恐慌的想法一直萦绕在我的脑海。

每当我陷入无理性的恐慌时，我就会做一件事——跑步。当我开始梳理自己的思绪和情感，我意识到他们之所以不要我，在某种程度上是由于我对他们也并不感冒。对方给我的反馈中提到，当我谈到我正在创作的那本书时，我显然是被一种热情“点燃”了。他们明显能看出，我希望帮助别人发挥潜能，也能看出我是如何通过运动和健身找到激情。然而谈到这家公司的业务时，我却没有表现出相同的热情。更要命的是，他们的结论是正确的。

虽然这件事让我很伤自尊——我大概难过了一两个星期，而且在那段时间，我一直为我的前途以及能否再次找到工作而焦心。然而这件事也让我明白了一个道理，要想找到一个合适的工作，首先要看你与工作的匹配度。当时的我完全没有预料到，仅仅几个月之后，我梦想中的工作（Flywheel Sports公司的CEO）就向我伸出了橄榄枝。

我经常拿这件事与我职业生涯早期的另一件事进行比较。在我刚刚步入社会的时候，我曾被我们国家的国营航空公司——新西兰航空公司拒绝过。我没能通过所有申请者都必须参加的标准化能力测试。然而当时我非常想在那家公司工作。我对全球旅行和冒险很有激情，因为在我的成长过程中，我经常在几个国家之间来回穿梭，所以我坚定地认为那份工作很适合自己。我并没有因为被拒绝就放弃了新西兰航空。通过跑步理清了自己的思绪后，我想好了一定不能接受这个结果。

正是这种信念让我走出了其他所有被拒的申请者的思维局限，我直接找到了他们的招聘官，近乎哀求地请他给我30分钟的时间。由于做了大量准备工作，我侃侃而谈地表达了对这家公司的看法，说明为什么我所具有的独特的技能、兴趣和热情能给这家公司带来价值。这次大胆的尝试为我换来了一次与招聘经理进行面试的机会，并且最终为我带来了那份梦想中的工作。（财富中文网）

译者：朴成奎

The MPW Insiders Network is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for, “How do you deal with rejection when it comes to landing a job?” is written by Sarah Robb O'Hagan, CEO of FlyWheel Sports.

Someone once said to me that job searching is like dating: Getting passed over for a new role and working through the moments when “he’s just not that into you” both bring a similar kind of hit to the ego.

Just last year, I quit my job to write my book, Extreme YOU – Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat. And even though I wasn’t actually looking for a job, I had some recruiters and hiring managers reach out with interesting opportunities. I felt it was important that I explore some of them to keep my head in the game for interviewing, and to get clearer on what I would actually want in my next role.

There was one particular opportunity that I interviewed for—a big job at a major corporation. The “dating” process went as far as me being invited to their headquarters in another city to meet several key leaders. I really enjoyed meeting them, and even hit it off with the CEO. Yet, when I came home that night and told my husband about it, my eyes weren’t lighting up at the opportunity the way he’s seen them light up before.

Fast forward a few days later, and the recruiting firm called to tell me that this employer had made a decision to pass on me. Wait, what? But I totally hit it off with them! How could they not want me? Mild panic set in as I suddenly started thinking, “Am I on the rejection pile for good now? Is this what happens when you quit your high-powered corporate career? Do you become irrelevant just like that?” All of these crazy, panicked feelings went flying through my mind.

Then, I did what I always do when I am irrationally worrying about something: I went for a run. And as I started unpacking my thoughts and emotions, I realized that they didn’t want me, in part because I actually didn’t want them either. One of the pieces of feedback had been that I clearly “lit up” with enthusiasm when talking about my book I was working on, my desire to help others reach their own potential, and how I’d discovered this passion by working in sports and fitness. But when talking about this employer’s business, I just didn’t show the same enthusiasm. And you know what? They were right.

As much as it was a hit to my ego—it stung for a week or two as I processed my nervousness about my future and eventually getting a job again—it was a great reminder that finding the right job is about matchmaking. Little did I know in that moment that my dream job as the CEO of Flywheel Sports was about to reveal itself to me a few months later.

I often compare this whole story to the start of my career, when I was rejected upon applying to work for Air New Zealand, my country’s national airline. I failed the standard competency tests that all applicants had to take. Now, in this scenario, I desperately wanted to work there. I was so passionate about the idea of global travel and adventure, having grown up moving between different countries, and I was just certain it was the right role for me. Instead of accepting the rejection, I realized after going for a run to process it that I simply must not take no for an answer.

And that belief led me to go way above and beyond any of the other rejected candidates by reaching out to the internal recruiter and begging for just 30 minutes to talk through my rejection. I came with smartly researched thoughts and ideas for the airline, showing how my unique skills, interest, and passion would drive value for them. Thankfully, that led to an interview with the hiring manager, and eventually, a job.