“All this rejection’s got me so low.” That’s a line from the song “Self Esteem” by The Offspring. Rejection of all types is an unavoidable part of life. Job rejection can suck! Sending out travel article after travel article and resume after resume becomes mechanical. Soon cynicism and fear settle in like “Mr. Mucas” from the Mucinex commercial. Dealing with job rejection is not easy when the bills must be paid!
Excerpt of rejection
Suite 101 sends applicants an email with a list of “standard” reasons for rejection: your writing suggested a first-person, experiential, or opinion-based approach to material rather than an objective journalistic style that quoted verifiable sources, your writing sample contained errors in language use, structure, grammar, spelling, or voice, article content did not reflect the search interests of our Web audience, and your educational and employment experience did not suggest authoritative expertise re the subject areas you wish to cover.
Short-Tips
- Try not to take it personal. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have to remember that most of the time the job rejection has nothing to do with you. Filling a position involves finding the best match between the candidate and the company. The person who was given the opportunity was a better match for the company doing the hiring.
- Understand that the person delivering the news is doing their job. “Do not shoot the messenger!” Most likely the person is doing something that he or she does not want to do.
- Keep your cool. Anger is not a good response when told you did not get the job. Burning bridges is never a good idea! You may apply with the organization again in the future. Calmly and cooly ask “why?” The organization may have a budget issue!
- When you answer the “rejection phone call,” thank the person for their time and consideration. Mention that you would be interested in being notified of future opportunities with the company.
- Go easy on yourself. Rejection is felt on a business and personal level. Reflect on the application and interview process. Is there anything you did that you might want to do differently next time? Do not assume that you did anything wrong just because you didn’t get an assignment!
- Take back control! Submit your next article. Fill out the next submission application right away. Being rejected may make you feel like a victim. Feel what you will at the time, but let the rejection go. Do not let the rejection stop you from your dreams!
- Be open-minded and flexible. Are you a freelancer who is willing to relocate? What about working on a contract, temporary, or part-time basis? Are you seeking full-time employment with an organization? FYI: an organization will pay for all or part of relocation costs. Change can be good!
Don’t give up and stay strong!
~ Rebecca
Something else I’ve learned from rejection letters is, if the editor provides a reason about why a piece has been rejected, use what you can from the rejection to improve your work for future submissions. Editors don’t have a lot of time to offer extensive critiques, but if they mention something that a writer can use as feedback, then by all means take that into consideration.
JoAnna,
Thanks for the comment. I recently submitted a query letter to the editor of an online health and wellness magazine. It will take about a month, but I’m curious to see what the editor will say. Feedback is always helpful :)