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.
"I love that marketing doesn't force me to pick a lane. I get to be the analytical one who figures out the strategy, but I also get to be the creative one who brings it to life. It's that constant back-and-forth between the two that makes the work actually feel like me." – Sakina, CMA Intern
One piece of advice that stuck with me was to stop waiting until I felt 'fully ready' before taking opportunities. A lot of growth comes from putting yourself in environments that challenge you, even if you're still learning. I've learned that experience builds confidence.
While scouring social media sites, job postings and your favourite companies searching for opportunities to get your foot in the door, you kept seeing one constant – required experience. That's something you just don't have. You're trying but you can't seem to get your foot in the door. Either you get no response or the response is that they've decided not to move forward with your application. That sucks.
