Thank you for saying this, Shaunta Grimes . It is important to focus on the life you want to have, because it shines a light on what’s worth working for. It’s also important to recognize that we might work really, really hard toward a goal, and it might not pan out. It’s tempting to feel like a failure, to assume “this happened because I wasn’t good enough.” But you are right: there are so many factors outside of our control that we may never know. Reviewing resumes for hiring panels taught me that so many candidates are amazing, fantastic, capable people who would be outstanding for all kinds of other jobs, but weren’t the right fit for our needs. I wanted to email each of them & say, “Your skills are valuable and your experience would be perfect for this other agency or organization, who will LOVE you & pay you what you’re worth, i.e. a lot more than we can! You are a rockstar & your next employer is going to be really lucky to get someone as awesome as you. I wish that could be us, but it’s our loss, not yours. Congratulations! You just dodged a bullet & are now free to find the right place for you.” But of course I was not allowed to say that. I think often of all the disappointed job seekers who got rejection letters, who never knew the full story behind the “why.” That’s all of us, at one time or another.
