I hated job-hunting before I did hiring and managed people. I felt rejected each time I didn't get an offer.
Once I sat on the other side of the table, and saw how a /majority/ of qualified candidates were turned down, I didn't feel so bad when I was rejected. The key thing you *really, really, really* want to avoid is a bad hire. I've seen candidates rejected for the oddest reasons. It was definitely the right choice to do so.
In the kinds of companies I've worked for, if you're at all not sure about a candidate, the decision should be a no-hire.
I don't feel rejected any more. A good mental model is:
If you're qualified, you role a die. If the die comes up a 6, you're hired. If you role 1-5, you're not hired.
(The number of sides on the day varies by industry; I think 6-sided is about right for my industry in the current job market)
Thanks, this is helpful as I go through various interview processes right now.