How Being Told “No” Was The Best Thing To Happen To Me
It was roughly two years ago when I received a rather harsh, but candid rejection letter.
After a few years of working in the corporate world, I felt stuck, unchallenged and unhappy with how much time it took to fight for change — to push new ideas. It was at this time some friends had serendipitously introduced to the startup scene, and my interest piqued. I set out to do my research, quickly found myself fascinated with communities like Product Hunt and GrowthHackers, the thrilling and terrifying aspect of how every single member of a startup makes an impact and decided I was ready to make the switch. I applied to several openings and it went as any typical job search goes — I had a few promising conversations, some disappointing rejections…but this one rejection letter stuck with me.
The email started with something along the lines of:
“Frankly, I’m rather concerned about your corporate background. I think there’s too much risk here that you’re testing out the idea of a startup on our dime and the likely result is that it won’t turn out well.”
Woah. I was thoroughly offended, and my first instinct was to take it personally.
Maybe I don’t have what it takes after all? It is a pretty drastic leap from corporate to startup…
I shoved those thoughts aside and continued reading on, but unfortunately, it didn’t get any better. To add insult to injury, the recruiter closed by asking me to consider an unpaid internship. By this point, my head was reeling, but I mustered up enough self-control to politely decline the offer. I wasn’t in a financial position to be working without pay, and I believed in my passion and commitment to learning. I was determined to find an opportunity where there was an equal investment on both ends.
After the initial shock subsided, I decided to take the opportunity to hit pause and reflect. What happened after that was a wonderful enlightenment. I emerged from the rejection thankful. Thankful for the renewed drive and a new self-awareness. Grateful for how it led me to land my first full-time startup gig two months later, where I would eventually grow into a role where I lead global content strategy.
But more importantly, I came away with a few key lessons on career transition and rejection. Here are three things I realized:
- Listen to your gut
Don’t let anyone else tell you “no”. Certainly be receptive to feedback and thank them politely, but what I mean is to not take it personally. Don’t let someone else set your successes and limitations. If something doesn’t work, find another way to go about it. For every dream, there are multiple roads to get you there. An old boss once told me this:
“Don’t look at your career path as a straight one — it’s more like a zig zag. Sometimes linear moves teach you a lot, sometimes unexpected moves teach you a lot. You don’t always have to make a beeline for the ultimate dream job.”
Keep at it. Talent is great, looking good on paper is great, luck is important, but hard work is just as powerful. Just take a look at the 80–20 rule.
2. Find a mentor that’s willing to take a risk on you
The right mentor will be willing to bet on you because they see your potential. They’ll invest in your growth by doing one simple thing: trusting in you. Repay their trust by working hard and being transparent with your struggles. I guess it’s possible for it to sound like a lot of pressure, huh? Remember, you’re not here because you know it all. You’re here for your passion, to contribute what you know so far and fill in the gaps of what you don’t know just yet.
3. Rejection is needed
When you’re young and hungry there’s often a tendency to feel like you have to “do more, faster”. This recent post written by GetWirkn’s Susie Pan sums the feeling up pretty concisely:
“So I treated myself as a startup. Telling myself that I need to be better faster, and that there’s a ticking clock to do so.”
Rejection isn’t permanent. It’s a unique opportunity to grow, reflect and learn. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need to hear in order to correct an unnoticed bad interview habit or to pick up an extra set of skills.
For me, I used this chance to immerse myself in more research into the gap between corporate and startup. Aside from just reading on how it all worked in theory, I asked a lot of tech folks out to coffee. Linkedin is perfect for this, and you’ll be surprised how many people are willing to make time to chat if you just reach out! I also put more hours into freelance writing, buffing up my portfolio where I could.
It was refreshing to just soak in the state of being “in between,” to learn that there was still a lot to learn.
So next time you face rejection, keep your chin up. It might just be the best thing to happen to you. If you’re going through a career transition right now, kudos for putting yourself out there. If you’ve faced rejection, be proud because it means you’re taking risks. Some pretty awesome people, ideas and creations have come out of rejection: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Disney, Apple’s Steve Jobs. Your next “no” might be preparing you for your best opportunity yet.
