Last Thursday, I was rejected from Shipt…again.
Things looked promising; I was brought in for the all day interview - the last one in the process. The guy leading this interview session said I was sharp and would be an excellent fit at the company, but I did not have enough experience for the role.
The role was for an entry level position.
Irony…
I cannot get an entry level position because I have no experience, but the job requirements say no experience is needed.
I left crushed. I should be used to it by now.
They say if you do good in high school, college, and grad school then you will have a plethora of job choices to choose from. Let me tell you something, all those people in my life were wrong.
I have had a few people ask me why I have not become bitter during this whole process. I am not too sure how to respond. Am I royally diappointed? ABSOLUTELY. But, I have learned life does not bend to your will.
I will share a few lessons in how to handle being rejected from jobs. Others are or will go through what is happening to me.
First, I have learned the struggle is guaranteed. Life is not cupcakes and rainbows; it is brutal at times. There is a line from Arrow, my favorite television show, where Anatoly tells Oliver “Living is not for the weak.” I promise you, life is much harder than it appears.
Second, it is important to embrace the struggle. I know how weird it sounds. If I were resolved to let defeat overwhelm me, I would be paralyzed in fear.
Third, it is important to struggle well. This lesson is undoubtedly the hardest to learn. How can one struggle well? For me, I had to recognize this period of life is an opportunity. If I had a full time job, I would not be able to spend hours learning new concepts, participate in Kaggle competitions, and write more code. I would not have the time to push myself to become the best if it were not for my current predicament.
We may not always get what we want, but it is important to use this time to grow.s
