Ambassadors on: Dealing with rejections In this blog post, ambassador Farheen talks about her experiences of job searching and how she deals with the inevitable rejections. Are you making applications for a job? Are you getting no response or just an automated rejection response? Or did you get to the interview stage and get rejected? Well… I’m here to tell you that you are not alone and this is something we can deal with together. In control of my finance As a full-time law student, it is important to have financial stability whether it’s having a student maintenance loan or a part time job - it allows you to have the freedom to have your own money to spend on your own expenses. I’m a second year University student and I wanted to take control over my own finances and be financially free. I started to hunt for part time work that would suit my study timetable and because I enjoy interacting and helping others. I was looking for jobs related to customer service and I applied to many. Pressure and Rejection It got to the point where I was applying for too much because the pressure of wanting to be financially independent was taking over my thoughts. I wanted to fit in with everyone else, I would see my peers securing part time jobs and that would encourage me to keep applying too. It’s reached the point where I am still being rejected multiple times or sent an automated rejection email or no response at all. I study Law at University and began looking into legal assistant roles. I applied thinking my legal experiences on my CV would be something recruiters would look out for. I was wrong. I just wanted my skills to match the skills of what a recruiter wanted. I asked myself, is it because I’m not good enough? Is it because my CV is not strong? Is it that I'm not the right fit? With every rejection I asked myself these questions, over and over again, in my pursuit to secure part-time employment. It’s hard and made me feel……rejected. Any job rejection can hit your confidence and self-esteem because it hurts. Moving Forward I’ve taught myself to focus and self-talk so that my inner voice gives me confidence to challenge my negative thoughts. I asked myself what I would say to someone who was going through the same thing. Would I tell them to give up? NO! Instead of thinking I'll never be able to do this - I am now asking myself is there anything I can do that will help me do this? It’s easy when getting job rejections to become negative and self-critical. So I am focusing on my strengths, looking into my connections and networks and reaching out to people. With hope, I’m looking to encourage myself further. I will not give up and I will continue my search. I will do whatever it takes to develop my skill set and tweak my CV. I know the perfect role is out there for me but I have to be patient. As an Ambassador for The Girls' Network, I am fortunate enough to be matched to many different professionals and organisations which I can tap into for employability support and opportunities. I have the ability to receive ongoing support through workshops and events so I can continue to grow and learn. I can practice my passion of public speaking and have my voice heard across the network and beyond, shaping the ambassador community. With support from The Girls' Network, family and friends I will be able to move forward and apply for jobs with confidence. I know I have got this! ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.’ Stay strong to you all! Such wise words from Farheen. Good luck to everyone who is looking for work, it can be really tough but keep going, stay positive and it will work out! Manage Cookie Preferences