Rejection emails suck.  It’s like getting dumped via text, Facebook status or email, except there was never a two way relationship with the prospective employer (unless you count the hot and heavy interaction I had with the faceless job application tool).

I remember receiving rejection letters when I was a senior in college, vying for a limited number of available marketing jobs in an unfavorable economic climate (hmmm, sound familiar?). I at least appreciated the personalized letter on company letterhead that cost the company postage.  It felt more official, even though I was still getting dumped for another candidate. In some cases where I wasn’t hearing back from a prospective employer after the interview, I’d follow up with a phone call to learn companies’ budgets had changed, and they could no longer hire the position for which I’d interviewed.  Bummer, but it was the company – not me – that had done something wrong.  When I ended up landing a great job with a Fortune 500 company one month after graduation, all the rejection letters were quickly forgotten.  Who wants to remember getting rejected after all?!

Fortunately since that first job out of college, I have only received job offers from three other companies, resulting in accepting two of those offers for actual employment that lasted several years.  I have been lucky, and I’d like to think that my education and experience prepared me for such “luck” in the working world.  Still, in eight years since college graduation, receiving a notice of rejection via letter or email DOES hurt. Maybe it’s my ego that’s a little bruised, thinking my resume has “MOM” written all over it, and I’ll never find another job again.  This is a bit dramatic, I know.  Overall I should be proud of my lifetime job hunting and working track record.  From the first babysitting gig and life guarding, to marketing internships and full time sales and marketing roles, I’ve gained a lot of experience and knowledge, while meeting some truly wonderful people in the process.   Even as I’m writing this, I have some consulting work to do, not to mention two adorable kiddos to get to bed.  Motherhood calls….and that’s a job that will keep paying me in hugs and kisses for the rest of my life.   I guess rejection isn’t so bad right now.

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