How can I call in after denied promotion? Without looking bad?

I’ve been working towards a promotion for. Couple years. Have been pretty much doing the job already.. so messed up. They open the position, I apply go through a rigorous interview testing process.. all to be told I’m not being hired because of this skills test..I’m unqualified.. I think it’s totally office politics.. because if anything I’m overqualified for this “entree level position” which in reality is actually a step down from what I’m doing, it’s even a 10k paycut.. the whole thing is just SO insulting.. my college degree is in this field .. despite scoring 80% on the skills test it wasn’t “good enough”..and I truly need time to digest.. like a few days into this next week. I’m devastated. How unacceptable is it for me to ask for unpaid time off.. I have no vacation. They are total sticklers about time off.. and it was mentioned to me I need to still be “cool” if I want any chance at the job again.. I’ve already been passed over a couple times... and yeah I just can’t bring myself to be motivated at work after all that. How do I professionally and “cooly” ask for the time off that I need so that I can move past this and show back up next week with a better attitude ? Should I just make something up like my grandma passed away? Or be honest ?

Coyotedave611 · M Best Comment

As a former upper management employee who started at the very bottom of the corporate scale, all I can advise you is NEVER personalize what some manager tells you.

You have to learn to play the game and sometimes that takes a lot of ingenuity...Listen to what managers are saying and buy into their ideas, make yourself into this understanding support person, Ask the manager what the company goals are and how you can fit into the model and their vision.

Right now, you're feeling really bad, the best thing to do is take some time off a couple of day's, be honest and tell them you need to take the emotion out of the situation and look at it objectively because you really want to be a proactive member of their team.

Hope this helps.