Conant Correct by Claire Conant

Have you ever wanted a job really badly and then were so heart-broken that you didn’t get it? Did you wind up discouraged for days and start doubting your abilities, undermining your confidence?

Early in my career, I used to go through this anguish when job hunting. However, I no longer experience this, as I learned a few things along the way. I’ll share what has worked for me, and hopefully some of this will work for you too. In the world of freelancing, contracting, or running my own business, I keep these thoughts front and center so a lost client, a lost gig, a lost opportunity doesn’t ruin my day, week, or month.

1. Have faith in the universe. Opportunities come and go, just like trains. There will be another better opportunity along in ten minutes.

2. Don’t take the rejection personally. Often the job you think you really want is one that you weren’t really suited for. Someone other than you had a vision of what they needed, and somehow your skills didn’t match up. You may never know why, exactly, but it’s not you personally. Even if it was you, would you want to work somewhere or with people with whom you clashed?

3. In time, you may get to see how not getting the job (or client) was just the right thing for you. I recently found out that a colleague I once worked for was select for a job I thought I wanted. It was a prestigious opportunity, rubbing elbows with multi-million dollar clients, including those at the Bill Gates level, and would have meant long-term, steady income. However, in chatting with this colleague today, I realized that I wouldn’t have liked what she is doing now anyway. It’s too fast paced, too technical, and half the time she has to be onsite. Sometimes there are hidden criteria to the job that the client or prospective employer doesn’t let on about because it’s not enticing or appealing. It will surface somehow. Be grateful  you dodged the bullet.

4. Don’t cry when a job ends before you are ready. This is somewhat related to #1, but having had several jobs end in my career involuntarily - layoff, merger, reorganization, downsizing - I’ve learned to go with the flow. Change is mandatory and part of life. It’s rare these days that jobs last for a lifetime. Economies ebb and flow, which in turn means businesses ebb and flow, and it’s all like a wonderful coordinated waltz.

5. The worst things that ever happened to me always turned out to be the best things that ever happened to me. Looking back over all the job changes I’ve had - especially when I was a corporate wage slave - when an involuntary change came along (I’ve never been fired), I can now see how the next job that came along was even better. I also can see that everything I learned in each job set me up for success in the next one.

6. It’s all about your attitude. I firmly believe that my attitude helps me adapt to changes, even when they are changes I don’t like, or things turn out differently than how I wanted. Keeping a positive attitude helps me stay focused on the bigger picture and the finer things in life. After all, it’s just a job. See #1. Next!