What Emily Did Next: Rejection is Redirection
I’m not going to pretend that I’m the first person to say that ‘What’s for you won’t pass you.’ However, I know on the (rare) occasion I don’t get what I want, that it’s the last thing I want to hear. For anyone reading this who doesn’t have a set career after completing their degree, is unsure what they want to do after they graduate, or maybe feels trapped in something they don’t love, this is for you.
I consider myself a notoriously laid-back person, but the impending end of my academic career did make me quite uneasy. I have two reasons for this (in order of importance):
There are some things you can get away with as a student that you can’t as an “adult” (e.g. Doritos for Dinner and Thompson’s three nights a week)
I didn’t have a plan
The last semester of university is not an easy time. Between assignments, last minute attempts to bulk out your CV, making the most of your last days as a student and applying for graduate jobs you don’t get a minute. I applied for one job, and a Canadian visa. The latter, I got and never used, and the former, I didn’t get.
I spent 6 months of final year in the application process for the role I thought was perfect for me. I worked hard, met amazing people, got to the final round, gave it my best, and didn't get the job.
Note: It was an international marketing role, at this stage in my life I was an English Literature student who could only speak English. (However, I am now an English Literature graduate who has a 97-day Duolingo streak!) My point here is that I applied on a whim, feeling underqualified but the employer saw my potential.
Almost naturally, my thought process was to focus on the negative. How had I ever thought I had a chance in that role? What a waste of time that was.
Now with rose-tinted shades and the benefit of hindsight, I’m very grateful for the opportunity but ultimately glad I didn’t get the job. I was among the youngest applicants, had little to no business experience- none at degree level, and no language skills - but I got that far. I knew people who hadn’t made it past the initial application, never mind rounds of interviews, presentations and group work.
Of course, I was sad that I was not going to be the face of a global brand in Thailand or India, but I ultimately felt confident that I’d given it my best and that it wasn’t the job for me.
Next time, I’ll write more about my current role as a marketing executive for a Belfast based start-up, but for now remember, rejection is redirection. Enjoy the process of not- knowing and trying everything because you’re only going to have that time once. While it's full of uncertainty and stress, it’s all an experience.
Written by Emily Hanna
Edited by Georgia McPoland