‘Tis the time of year for awards ceremonies! While the glitz and glam of the Grammys and Oscars may be a far cry from your daily life, there is one thing about these awards shows you can likely relate to on a very real level: getting snubbed.
If you’ve ever felt a star was robbed of a well-deserved award, there’s a chance he or she feels the same way (especially under the spotlight). Yet the experience is all too common—in Hollywood and beyond.
If you’ve ever been passed over for a promotion at work when you felt it was deservedly yours, you’re likely nodding in agreement. In that moment of defeat, the most important thing you can do is bounce back without hesitation. The following steps can help you do just that.
1. Acknowledge the snub. Sure, at first you may be aghast, annoyed, disheartened, deflated, all of the above at being snubbed. Permit yourself to go through all the messy emotions—but don’t dwell on them. The sooner you accept reality, the sooner you can move on. As powerless as you may feel right now, you’re actually the one holding the cards—not your employer.
2. Decide whether or not to stay. This one technically should be a no-brainer. So your director resigned and suddenly you were charged with running an entire department of 60 people, but you weren’t promoted, and even worse, the company wound up hiring someone externally for that role? Buh-bye! Unfortunately, I’ve seen countless cases where people who were snubbed still felt loyal to the company and stuck around. For whatever reason, the person wasn’t ready to leave.
If you decide to stick with a company that doesn’t value your contributions, you really have to rid yourself of ill will. Remain positive and quash any feelings of resentment or frustration. Now ask yourself if this is really possible. Chances are, it’s not.
3. Look for a new job externally. This brings us to the last point—one that will bode you well. As a former recruiter, whenever I asked candidates why they were looking to leave their current employer, one of the best and most plausible explanations I heard was that there weren’t opportunities for growth in their current company.
Based on my experience, moving on is ultimately the best option. People who choose to stick with their current employer will eventually leave anyway, but in the interim, they will likely be annoyed and unhappy with their job.
Considering you spend a bulk of your time at work, you deserve to feel engaged and energized by your company, not deflated and devalued.
Don’t wait around for a new opportunity to come along. Open yourself up to new possibilities, and start looking for a better job that recognizes your worth.