How To Handle A Job Rejection

I’m sharing the first time I ever faced rejection. When it comes to dealing with rejection it’s not easy, but you can either feel bitter or you can learn from it.

During my sophomore year of college, I was so excited for the summer, since my plan was to obtain an internship at my dream company. I received an internship opportunity for the company I was obsessed for over a year. I was so excited to open my email and see that I had an interview offered. I felt happy and anxious all at the same time. When I arrived at the interview I felt confident and positive that I was going to nail that interview. Unfortunately a week later after my interview, I received an email saying I wasn’t able to intern at the company. It took me over a week to get over the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to intern for that company.

What I learned…

An internship or job opportunity doesn’t guarantee you will get it, nor getting an interview will guarantee that you will get it. However, getting the opportunity to get an interview with the company is actually an opportunity in your favor. Think of it this way something caught the company’s attention from your resume.

How I dealt with rejection in a positive way

Although, I was so disappointed in myself when I received my rejection email. I started asking myself questions like “Did they not like me?” “Did I lack the experience that they were looking for”. I realized I couldn’t be sad forever, it was more of a learning process for me. Dealing with rejection made me a stronger person than ever before. It showed me that even though I didn’t get accepted I didn’t fail. It made me understand that there is still room for improvement.

Don’t be afraid to ask what went wrong

I choose to be the bigger person and move on with my search. However, I did email the person that interviewed me and ask them for their feedback. You might not be able to see what you need to gain in order to qualify for the job or internship. This can be very helpful when it comes to your job search. Making sure what I needed in order to qualify for the internship helped me be more at ease with myself. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be unanswered.

Proving yourself that you can do it

Ever heard of the phrase work hard pays off? It’s actually true when you actually do it. Instead of doing nothing about the situation I was going through. I started searching more internships and even volunteer opportunities to gain the experience that I needed. It all starts with you. In life the only person that can give you everything is yourself.

My Career Advice:

After experiencing rejection, you can either stay stuck in the moment or learn from it and move forward. It’s not the end of the world if you get rejected, although it feels like that at the time. It’s important to experience rejection because it can only teach you to become better.

Hope this little advice can encourage whoever has experienced it or might be going through it.

Love Always,

Yessi Bause