The moment has finally arrived. You’re sitting at your laptop, checking the time every .2 seconds, just sweating the minutes away waiting for your acceptance e-mail. All of a sudden, a bold unread email pops onto your screen, and you can barely move your fingers the inch to click it. This is the dream job you’ve been praying for; the job you went through the interview process for weeks for, and worked so hard at achieving – and it all comes down to this e-mail, stating whether or not you’ve made it. Your eyes quickly scan the entire page for some instant hint of an answer, only to find that one, heartbreaking sentence: “We are sorry to inform you…”
So that’s it, right? Everything you’ve worked toward gets flushed down the drain. Wrong! I know it’s hard at first, but whether you’ve been turned down for a date or a dream job, there are ways of coping with that initial slump feeling. Here are some tips to help you get through that first hard-hitting week and beyond so that you can be prepared to be back to your old self in no time.
1. Give yourself credit for going for it in the first place. You should give yourself so much more credit than you probably are! It took a lot of guts for you to put yourself out there and build up the strength to show someone else what you’ve got. Don’t ever lose this quality, because people will remember you for stepping up to the plate and for being an individual.
2. Not “rejection,” but “change in pathways.” Stray away from thinking that the only chance you had at success was this one opportunity. If you put a positive spin on the situation, things will already be starting to look up. Before you know it, something is going to come up that you can get a chance at being a part of, that you may have never gotten to be a part of if you were accepted to that initial program. It may be a sudden need for artistic students to intern at an art gallery, a fresh face in class you sat next to by chance, or even a suddenly available leadership role in one of your clubs. Countless opportunities are going to pop up, all you have to do is choose which one!
3. Seek out the ones you love most: family and friends. No matter what, they will always be there for you, especially when you’re down in the dumps about something you had high hopes for. For me, my first go-to is my mom. She always gives the best advice on staying positive and reminding me not to let rejection deteriorate my character or my optimism. Later, your amazing friends will always make you laugh and help you forget about why you were ever upset in the first place. It’s so important and helpful to go to the ones you care about because they are sure to show how much they care about you and your happiness. You’ll always have them to turn to, and they know that they have you in turn whenever they need someone for comfort as well.
4. Transform it into a learning experience. This one may be the longest process, but also one lesson you can take away with you in the long run and teach to others when they need the support as well. Make this a chance to build up your confidence level, which will in turn make you present yourself even better than ever. Tell yourself what amazing qualities you possess: maybe organization skills, time management, and a desire to help others are your strengths, so embrace those! You’ve got so much to offer, don’t let those qualities suffer! Next is the tougher part: working on some qualities that just aren’t there yet. Maybe you need to work on maintaining eye contact during an interview (or date!) or you need to update your resume to show off your amazing involvement. We all have something we can work on, but we also all have something truly unique we can contribute to this world.
5. Don’t be afraid to go for it again! It is never too late to show how much you have improved since the last time you tried for this job or to land that date with a cutie in stats class! You’ll probably impress them more and stand out because they will see your determination. It takes a lot of enthusiasm to try for the exact same position in the same job or club that you tried before, so if you don’t feel ready, maybe try to gain a leadership role in another club or seek out new jobs or internships that catch your interest. And hey, there’s a million fish in the sea as well! So get back up on your feet, and show everyone out there what you’ve got!
Photo Credits:
http://rohan7things.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/conquering-your-fear-of-rejection-99-steps-to-success/
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3pms20/