To put it quite frankly, rejection sucks. It sucks pouring your heart and soul into an application, advancing through multiple rounds of recruitment, only to find out AFTER your feet have bled from wearing heels to your interview that you have not been selected for that organization. If you’re feeling unwanted right now, girl I am so with you. Although, through the process I’ve picked up a few tips on how to deal with rejection from an organization.
STEP ONE:
Cry.
Cry a lot.
Ugly cry like Kim K.
There are multiple studies that prove crying is good for you. If you’re a guy reading this drop your inhibitions and shed a few tears for once! Once all those emotions are out, you’ll be so much more clear headed. Bottling stuff up is bad for you, but I suggest crying alone in your room so as not to worry strangers. If it has to be on campus then so be it, you’re not the only one. Get all of it out so you can move on.
STEP TWO:
If crying didn’t get all of your emotions out, rant.
I don’t mean go to Academic Plaza and yell at everyone about how horrible that organization is, that is not a good idea. Please refrain from slandering the organization, we’re all adults here. I mean talk to a trusted friend, or your mom, or a trusted friend AND your mom. Hit up the group message! They know what’s up, and they can help you clear your head.
You could also pull a me and vaguely tweet about them. Only your really personal followers know what it’s about, everyone else thinks your tweet is about a boy!
Sometimes a mindlessly melodramatic rant helps me put my problems into perspective. Once you realize it’s not as bad as you’ve convinced yourself, you’re able to heal.
STEP THREE:
Listen to your loved ones.
After I had my little rant my friend Rachel told me some pretty solid advice. At the end of the day would you really have wanted to be part of that organization? If they rejected you, then you probably would’ve been miserable had you made it! There are other opportunities out there that better suit your personality. There was also my mother’s opinion that their decision was “ridiculous and stupid!” Thanks, Mom.
Having a support system is crucial to your path to healing, not just when dealing with rejection, but just life in general. In the end you went out and you tried something new, and you’ve gotten out of your comfort zone, while also narrowing down your choices for what organizations you want to be in. The support from loved ones imperative to reacting positively to rejection.
EXTRA STEP:
If you’re still feeling really upset give yourself a little moping time. I tend to mope, but I always give myself a limit on how long I can wallow in self-pity to make sure I don’t end up spiraling. I gave myself one day to just be really emo, and then I was done. It was enlightening and I was able to figure out that I was wasting A LOT of energy on something that I shouldn’t have been.
I would advise against this if you don’t have enough self control to pull yourself out of moping.
It’s 100% OK to cry, feel frustrated, or something in between. We’re human. We experience a plethora of emotions. Everyone gets hurt at sometime and we can’t be invincible. Whether you were blindsided by the rejection, or even if you expected it, it can still hurt! The key is to examine your pain. Figure out why it matters so much to you, and find a good support system to build you up.
You can get through this, you are so much more than that rejection letter.
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