In my last article, I talked up CofC campus involvementand described the different organizations I’ve personally become involved with this past semester. While I’m extremely lucky to have made the cut for Charleston 40 and my sorority, it definitely wasn’t completely smooth sailing last semester. In September, I went through recruitment for another organization that I really wanted to be involved with-and was rejected.
As we get older, rejection evolves to include more than just being turned down by boys in the playground—we also have encounter it when pursuing organizations, jobs, and other positions. Everyone reacts to rejection differently, andI reacted by feeling embarrassed and useless. My best friends all knew how much I wanted to make the cut for the organization—so that made it doubly awkward and terrible when I didn’t get in. I tried to play it off like it wasn’t that big a deal, but I could tell that they could see right through me. It was definitely pretty rough those first couple of days afterwards. Of course, in a short amount of time I genuinely did bounce back and move on—and now I couldn’t be happier with the new directions my life has taken!
As I said, dealing with rejection is something very personal and unique to the individual, but I think I have a few foolproof suggestions for how to make moving on a bit more bearable!
- 1. Don’t jinx yourself beforehand, or overshare. Before and during recruitment for the organization, all I did was talk about how much I wanted it, to anyone who would listen. This made it pretty embarrassing when I didn’t get in. Also, the people I talked to usually assured me that I wouldn’t have a problem getting it—so they all probably felt pretty awkward afterwards too. Downplaying your excitement is usually a good rule of thumb to follow. Obviously, you should always keep enthusiastic during interviews/recruitment events, but try to stay humble when talking to others. Getting over rejection is hard enough, it’s even worse when you have an audience.
- 2. Don’t take it personally. Obviously, when you’re turned down for something, it’s easy to blame yourself 100%, but there are loads of other factors that are involved in making those types of decisions. Just because someone didn’t realize how awesome you are doesn’t mean that no one will!
- 3. That being said, get right back up on the horse. Literally the day I found out I was rejected from the organization, the applications for Charleston 40 were due. I had always wanted to be in Charleston 40, but I didn’t think I would ever have a shot. I had to make a snap decision—take another chance and risk another rejection, or not? Luckily I decided to go for it, and it paid off! It ended up being good to decide to try out at the last minute, because I didn’t have time to psych myself out and stress like I had previously.
- 4. Distract yourself. I distracted myself with Charleston 40 recruitment pretty easily, but I also spent time with my sisters and friends, listened to loud angsty music, and started reading a new book. If you like jogging or running, I’ve heard that’s a pretty effective distraction too (I wouldn’t know. Props to all you girls that are in shape.)
- 5. And this might sound cliché, but remember and take pride in all your accomplishments. It’s pretty easy to feel like you’ve failed when you get rejected from for a job, internship, etc., but you have to realize that these things happen for a reason. You didn’t get that job because an even more fantastic job is right around the corner. You’ve got to keep it all in perspective. You’ve done incredible things in your life already, and there’s definitely more success to come!