Although rejection is inevitable in the job search, it's hard not to feel defeated or hopeless when it happens, to take it as a sign of personal deficiency.
A fear of rejection and failure is the single greatest obstacle holding people back from landing their dream job, career coach Emily Liou tells CNBC Make It.
When you let fear override confidence in the job search, you risk sounding "desperate," Liou warns.
Many jobseekers fall victim to the scarcity mindset, Liou explains, which comes from the feeling that there are finite jobs and seeing limitations instead of opportunities.
"It's a vicious cycle because the less confident you feel, the more self-doubt creeps in, and it becomes tempting to lower your standards in the job search or stop altogether," Liou warns.