Since finishing your program, you’ve attended convocation and received your diploma. For months you’ve scoured job boards actively applying because you are not only dedicated but also motivated to secure more than a job. You want a career you can be proud of that will allow you to grow. At first, you checked your inbox daily. Lately though, your enthusiasm dwindled because the replies started the same way, “We have decided not to proceed with your application.” If you need help handling rejection, this piece is for you.
Whether it’s your first or fifteenth, a job search can be stressful and frustrating. You are competing for a limited number of positions with people who may be just as skilled or even more experienced. To help you along your journey, we’ve pulled together some motivational tips from Hannah Frye and Elissa Epel, Alison Doyle, Marianne Strenger, and Jack Kelly.
Repeating positive affirmations can drown out negative thoughts when they start.

Maintaining a positive outlook can be challenging when you don’t receive a positive response to a job application. You may find yourself second-guessing your decisions, from the program you pursued to the school where you studied. However, progress isn’t only defined by success. In times like these, you must push yourself to find the resilience to achieve goals which may seem out of reach. Confucius once said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Life is full of challenges, and how we confront them can set a precedent for how we handle them in the future. Sometimes, the real challenge is creating your own definition of success.
Chasing trends might give you short-term spikes, but it’s your relationships—the way you show up for your audience—that sustains growth long-term.
Still, one of the most impressive forms of communication might be the one that gives people who are blind the ability to read with their fingertips. Technology has undoubtedly eclipsed traditional forms of communication, but it all began with words.
Interviews are hard – they're supposed to be, because companies won't hire just anyone – you must be the right fit. While you can't anticipate every question, you can practice answering common questions, so you have a list of answers ready to share at any given time