How I Pivoted My Career After 12 Companies Rejected Me

Rejection is hard. Especially with the hours spent putting in the work to achieve that goal. I spent my whole youth in fear of not landing a spot on a sports team, play, or musical. All of which resulted in a mix of disappointment, tears, and acceptance of the opportunities that I did land.

Each rejection resulted some sort of benefit. I didn’t get into the high school tennis team, but it lead to more time to devote to concert band, which I loved. I didn’t get into NYU for my undergrad, but I got into Hofstra University, which gave me some amazing friends that I’ve kept in touch with 10+ years later.

You may have heard the cliche “Everything happens for a reason”, it’s true, but there were times where I thought, “THEN WHAT IS THE REASON?”

Several years ago, I had been freelancing as a photo editor for two years, and not feeling professionally fulfilled. I was looking for more stability for myself, and opportunities that will benefit my lifestyle and career growth. I set out to look for companies that I was interested in as well as seek job posts that intrigued me. I devoted time into the research, the preparation, and all the steps to set myself up for success.

However, I failed. I was rejected by 12 companies within a four month period. This was heartbreaking, and I felt confused and defeated. Thoughts of feeling insignificant and worthless filled my head, and I kept overanalyzing these past interviews on what I did wrong. I didn’t want to…