Week Ten: Newly Graduated, Newly Employed

Yes, I have very exciting news. I got a job! 

I got an actual design job, at a legitimate company and I could not be more excited. The job offer was very unexpected and came a few days after receiving a rejection email from the same company. This offer also came after I had already made the decision to move to Indy without a job or any other prospects. Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith. 

So what have we learned? Sometimes, you can do everything right but still be rejected. Sometimes there’s someone better, more qualified, or more experienced. Sometimes things are out of your control but the thing you can control is your presence, your attitude and how much you push yourself to get to that place you want to be. We’re all going to go through rejection and failure in our personal and professional lives. The important thing is how we use that opportunity to learn from our mistakes and move forward. 

• Make use of the wonderful wide world of the internet and do your research before going into an interview. Know the company and know what their mission is. Know why you want to work for them and be prepared to answer tough questions.
• Keep an updated resume and if you haven’t already, get business cards.
• If you’re a designer, keep your online portfolio updated with relevant design work and don’t be afraid to remove work if it doesn’t match the quality of the rest of the portfolio.
• Write either a handwritten note or an email after your interview to thank the interviewer for your time. 
• Dress professionally for an interview (ALWAYS!).
• Keep your dress neat and clean even if the dress code in your office is casual
• Try to keep a positive attitude even if things aren’t looking too bright. No one ever got anywhere with moping.
• Take risks. Try new things and new places. If you have the funds and connections, make that move to a new city. If you’re unhappy with your current situation or job, make a change. 

Always keep pushing and moving forward. Keep on reaching for your dreams and improving yourself and your skills.

I won’t be continuing this series of ‘Newly Graduated’ blogs anymore, but I will keep blogging. Mostly about my inspirations and other professional tips. I hope everyone has enjoyed my turmoil and struggles over the past two months!

Week Four: Newly Graduated, Taking the Rejection

Many of us face rejection on a daily basis whether it be school, work, family or otherwise related. Yes, it can be tough to stay positive in a world that is continually saying “no”, but the important thing is to learn from the rejection.

We’re all familiar with the phrases “Good things come to those that wait” and “Everything happens for a reason”. They’re right up there with “Something will come along eventually”. However, there is a point when you feel like strangling the next person who dares utter anything related to that because it doesn’t feel like those phrases apply to you. Constant rejection can lower your confidence and positivity levels and it’s hard to carry on under those conditions. Just yesterday I went out with one of my fellow graduated classmates for a bit of girl time/ranting session and she said she was feeling pretty discouraged about searching for a job. She had recently received several automatic rejection emails literally minutes after applying for jobs (let’s face it, those are the worst kinds of rejection emails) and it was wearing her down.

Rejection is a good thing. Yes, you read that correctly. Rejection happens for a reason. It makes us challenge ourselves and push ourselves further than we would normally. It forces us to take a good look at how we are presenting ourselves and our work. Maybe your cover letter isn’t professional enough and should be changed slightly. Maybe your website needs to be updated. Maybe, just maybe, you aren’t a good fit for the company. Personally, I’m glad rejection emails happen, even the automatic ones. That let’s me know that a company that wouldn’t even take the time to write a short note probably doesn’t care THAT much and that’s probably not an environment I would enjoy working in. So I keep on applying, I keep updating my cover letter and I keep working on projects. 

The only way to get over the rejection is to become better. Become so good that they can’t ignore you anymore. If you feel that you were rejected for no good reason, write an email requesting to know if they would be willing to offer some tips on your next application. Find out what you can improve on and become better at. Getting over the rejection will help you grow as a person and a professional. It shows that you’re determined to get where you want to go, that you have drive and passion about where you’re headed. 

So I encourage everyone reading this today, keep your chin up! Everything happens for a reason…