When 773 Times Is a Charm: Dealing with Rejection One Job Application at a Time

"They say the third time’s a charm, but in my case, it’s more like the 773rd time. Let me explain.

In a span of five years and throughout different periods of my career, I applied to and got rejected from 772 jobs. My current role with T-Mobile, senior communications specialist, is in fact job application No. 773. I’m not sure why I had to struggle so much to get to where I am today, but I can tell you it wasn’t easy and I wasn’t left unscathed.

Facing rejection this many times left me drowning in despair. It eroded my self-esteem, robbed me of the dreams I had set out to achieve, and made me question my worth as a person. Am I not good enough? Is it the color of my skin? My accent? I was so ashamed of my situation that I didn’t share my rejection story because no one really believed me. It seemed like those around me felt ashamed of me and for me.

Although rejection shook me to my core, being compassionate with myself helped me become more resilient. And in turn, my resiliency helped me stay motivated during difficult times. I’m not here to give you the sympathy card punch line, “do not give up” but to tell you to hold out a little longer while the storm passes. It only takes one success to change the course of your life. If you’re also dealing with rejection, try some of these coping strategies that worked for me.

- Mourn the rejection, but don’t set camp in your mourning.

- Keep a consistent routine.

- Keep a consistent routine.

- Find a support system and professional help.

- Practice self-care and self-compassion, and challenge yourself with evidence.