I wish I had read this a few years ago when I was having difficulty finding a job. I saw every rejection as a personal failure. In reality, whether or not you l

I wish I had read this a few years ago when I was having difficulty finding a job. I saw every rejection as a personal failure. In reality, whether or not you land a job is largely a function of circumstances that are not only out of your control: they are out of the hiring manager's control. Headcount targets, the number of applicants, and the specific needs of the company at the time you apply are fixed before anyone even looks at your CV. As a general principle, it's always good to focus on areas where you have leverage rather than dwelling on areas where you don't. You can always improve your skills and your CV (and you should!) but you also shouldn't take a rejection email as strong evidence that you're not heading in the right direction.