Receiving a rejection is inevitable especially when you apply for job vacancies or submitted a proposal. Everyone on the journey of success has received a number of rejections. It is absolutely normal to feel discouraged after you have received a rejection mail, but it is not enough to make you stop trying. In this article, I will be sharing with you lessons I learnt from submitting applications and proposals.
Don’t feel entitled to win:
Remember that no matter how qualified you may be, there is someone who is twice as good. Once you start feeling entitled to getting that acceptance mail for that particular job interview or conference you are applying for, you limit yourself from putting in all your best to win the acceptance letter.
- Sometime last year, I applied for outreachy internship program. It is a three-month internship, which helps to give underrepresented persons in the society an opportunity to contribute to an open-source project of their choice within three months. I was able to make it past the initial application and I was totally convinced that getting past the second application( which is the contribution and proposal phase) will be a piece of cake. I got relaxed and forgot that I was competing with over 100 applicants for the limited Open source projects. By the time the list of applicants that were accepted came out, my name wasn't on it. I was disappointed and discouraged at first, but recently, I have realised that feeling entitled to winning makes you less committed and makes rejection mails more discouraging.
Be positive but keep an open mind:
While you are awaiting the feedback from your application, do not be overwhelmed with getting a positive response. This will help you move past any rejection emails that you receive after applying for anything. This doesn’t mean you are not confident enough, but then you must know that nobody really hopes to get a rejection mail, but they get it anyway.
Rejection emails don’t mean it is over:
Rejection emails are a motivation for you to try harder and get bigger wins. The more times you get a No for an answer you should feel motivated to try until you get a Yes. A friend of mine told me he has a folder for every rejection mail he receives. According to him, it helps him track his progress.
I have so many rejections that I have a folder full of them to help me track my progress
He explained saying:
It’s not like I'm not good at my Job or like I have never done what I’m applying for but it’s just that sometimes you don’t get the job. To an extent, I agree with this method of learning from your mistakes. Because you will see that at every failed application you only get better for the next one.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket:
While you are submitting applications, always remember to explore the options that are available. It is undeniable that you will most likely have a particular company you have targeted when applying and you are convinced that you will get an acceptance mail, but learn to diversify your options when applying.
Develop your skills to be the best:
While applying for the numerous jobs and conferences, do not forget to grow your soft skills alongside. Just so that when the long-awaited acceptance mail finally comes through, you will be able to deliver quality service as your resume says of you. Once you have the skills that are required for a particular position, you have higher chances of being accepted in any job application.
Submit your Application Regardless:
Whether you are convinced that you are the right person for a job specification or not, always be willing to give it a try. If at the end of the day, you do not get that particular job, or you were able to just make it past the interview phase, you would have learnt a lot during the application process. The more you try applying the closer you get to receive positive feedback. This is because, at every point, you get a rejection, you equipped both mentally and skill-wise to try again.
It is ok to ask for help:
When you come across a job vacancy or a call for Paper for conferences, and you are not sure within your self that you understand the application process, it is ok to reach out to the someone who has more experience in that particular field to put you through. Do not feel embarrassed asking for help, because submitting a proposal, or application blindly limits your chances of getting accepted.
Conclusion
Thes few lessons have thought me a whole when it comes to submitting proposals or job applications. I know there is more to learn and I am eager to get through each step. I hope you find these lessons useful.