REJECTIONS

Hello my friends!!! Ahhh rejections seem to have been the theme in my job hunt over the summer. I applied to well over 60 jobs and more than 90% of them came back as rejections. You know when you get an email and it says something like "thank you for applying, we will not be moving forward with your application", or "thank you for applying, we have decided to move forward with candidates that are more qualified" or "thank you for applying, while your resume is impressive, it unfortunately does not meet our requirements"...  or something along those lines.

Well, at least they say thank you!!! So I realize that this is pretty normal. It is really normal. After all, the HR department receives hundreds of applications so it is not possible to respond to everyone individually. Sending a standard thank you for applying email makes sense. I would do that if I were them as well so I get it.

Nevertheless, getting all those rejections can be a little heartbreaking and nerve wrecking. I was after all not in a job while I was applying so I felt the pinch and anxiety a lot more. I kept thinking if anyone would ever want to hire me or if they say that my resume is impressive then whats wrong. Many a times, I felt like I was not hire-able and no company would ever want me. Those rejections can really make sure feel down.  I felt down a lot of times but somehow knew deep deep down that things will work out. That someone will want to hire me and it will be the right job with the right company. Deep down I felt confident. A rejection after all was just a feeling that I had at that time.

During the initial process of my job hunt, it was hard getting so many rejections at once. I will say that if you feel the rejection pinch, then stay with the feeling. Its okay to feel that way and it is normal. The rejection is not a rejection of you as a person.. the rejection is about the job and the requirements of the job descriptions. YOU as a person are not getting rejected and that was something that I had to keep in mind. This was not about me. They are trying to fill a role and they want the best, most qualified person for the job and that is based on who you know, education, skill set and experience. What others have on their resume may be the exact thing that they are looking for and it has nothing to do with me and you. 

I think a lot of people take rejections, whether it be related to jobs or otherwise, personally. I certainly did. Now when I look back, its easier to think that I should not take it personally but at that time of the job rejection, I really had to remind myself that all the time. I had to say, this is not about who you are. I know that a lot of people go through someone they know to apply for a job so references get a lot of attention. All my referrals were also rejections so it really hit me. 

I feel that if I ever am in the situation of looking for another job opportunity, I know that those rejections will come. I also know that it is okay and very normal and mentally prepare myself for it. One of the things that I helped was to know and accept that you will be rejected. There is no way around that. You will be rejected, maybe not more than 90% of the times in job applications, but it will happen. Great for the few of you out there if you have never experienced a job rejection but for most of us, it is normal. 

So expecting and accepting rejections became the norm for me. After awhile, the rejections will stop stinging. You will stop feeling bad about yourself. Its almost like you need to stop feeling bad and move through those feelings so you can keep moving forward. The rejections are here to help you move forward and to keep applying. For every rejection I got in a day, I applied to more many jobs the next day and the next day. I never gave up. I looked at it and said okay here's another one on the rejection list so whats next. You must look for the next opportunity and keep applying. Keep at it while reminding yourself that the right one will come. 

Its not just applying to jobs and getting the rejection email, but also getting rejected after an interview. That happened to me as well, again very normal. So you go for an interview and it seems like they really liked you (and they probably did) and then once again you get the standard email from the HR system saying, "we are sorry but you have not been selected". Yes ouch I know. 

It hurts!!! There is no denying that. Just when you think okay now the call will come and I will get offered a position, bam  you get the email. When that happened to me, I let myself be down. I allowed myself to feel the sadness. I knew that there was a very strong chance that it would happen and it did. I felt really sorry and also thought, well it was their loss and not mine. I then also realized of how fearful I felt of those rejections. Right from the start, I was scared of the rejections and not getting the approval for the job. I had a real learning opportunity. There was nothing to be afraid of. 

Thinking of rejections as it was not my loss but the company's, really helped me take on a different perspective. If you get rejected for a promotion, a salary raise, by someone, a lover etc, it is not your loss and it probably is the best thing for you. Keep your self-confidence. I have become a firm believer that everything happens FOR you and for whats best for you, always. I am going to add that to my daily mantra list and will find a way to remember it. 

Here's the thing my friends, rejections are a part of life. Don't be afraid of them.  How you handle those reactions is always a choice that you have. You can learn from it, grow from it and move on from it. You can feel the rejection sting, but how you choose to clean up that sting wound is your choice. I will choose to find a way to let it heal and to help with that, work on my next action steps all the while remembering that it is the best thing that can happen to me. Cause it is...

Wish you well my friends!!!


Peace

Monita