Rejection is normal, trust me. It doesn’t define you. It isn’t a depiction of the work you do. The best advice I can give is that you shouldn’t give up or stop applying just because you got rejected. Aren’t convinced? Well, let me tell you my experience.
I completed an internship last summer, and I absolutely loved it. What made it even better was the guidance I received from my supervisors and colleagues, along with the spectacular experiences and opportunities I was able to be a part of. This internship went so well that I even got an extension that lasted until the winter. As my internship came to an end, I felt a touch of sadness. This is a company I’ve hoped to work for after graduation, and I shared that aspiration with the professionals I had the privilege of working alongside. I decided that I would push myself to apply for their early career program, and though it was outside my comfort zone, I did it. During the application and interviewing process, I was overjoyed by the potential of being an employee at my dream company. This thought was confirmed when I got into the final round of interviews. Despite all of the positivity regarding my interview process, it was extremely competitive. I was informed some time later that I wasn’t selected for the early career program. I was distraught, heartbroken even.
Ok, so now you may be wondering, how is that story going to make you believe that rejection doesn’t equal failure? Well, let me explain.
So I was left heartbroken, thinking: “How could anything get better after this?” That mindset is very limiting and truly hurts the possibility of getting up and trying again. Once I gave myself the time to grieve the possibility of working at my dream company, a flame ignited under me. I had a new motivation, thus Operation: Find My New Dream Role began. This newfound motivation led me to apply for roles I never thought I would be open to.
Along with this, I recalled the importance of gaining new experiences from taking new opportunities. One of these new opportunities I applied for was a campus design position. I’ve practiced my design skills before, but I didn’t know how confident I would be in my skills if I actually got this job. Despite all of my uncertainties, with a lot of them having to do with my rejection from my dream role, I decided to just submit the application. I knew that this effort couldn’t hurt me, and worst comes to worst, I might not get the job offer. Well, I am so grateful that I applied to this opportunity, as I am currently working in this design role. It is something I am extremely passionate about, and I am gaining so many new skills from this role.
This story is just one of many experiences that shifted my thoughts from rejection equals failure to rejection is just another opportunity for me to grow. Rejection just means something didn’t align. That’s it. It’s more like the universe saying, “Hmm, not this route. Try another one.” Think about it. If every single thing worked out perfectly the first time, you’d never improve. You’d never build resilience. You’d never discover that plot twists actually make the story interesting. Rejection builds character.
Rejection is just feedback. It’s data. It’s a redirection. So next time you get rejected, instead of spiraling, try this mindset shift: “Okay. That didn’t work. What’s next?” You are not behind. You are not “bad” at life. You are just in the process. And the process sometimes includes a few “no’s” before the big “YES.”