Slow down, take a deep breath. Everything will be okay!
UP NEXT spotlights the perspectives of IPR NEXT members as they drive the future of communications with purpose and impact. Learn more about IPR NEXT, the Institute for Public Relations’ membership community for emerging leaders.
Uyên Ngô is a PR professional and recent Purdue University graduate.
You sent your applications, waited, and received an email: “Unfortunately, we have decided to move forward with other candidates.”
I’ve been there too.
There were days I refreshed job postings every hour, checked my email constantly, and asked myself whether I was good enough. Eventually, I realized something important: much of the job search is outside my control. What I can control in this job search is how I respond and show up every day.
Here are three things I learned to control in this job search and walk confidently into a room full of opportunities.
- Rejection is redirection
Every “no” feels personal to you at the moment. But remember, most of the time, it isn’t about you — sometimes it’s because of budget cuts, timing, or maybe the role wasn’t a right fit like you thought it would be. Looking back, there were times when I convinced myself I would get my dream job because it seemed like a perfect fit. However, when I got rejected, I was disappointed for days. These rejections later pushed me towards something better than what I originally wanted, such as meeting new professionals and building great connections with them.
You don’t always see the redirection right away, as it happens when you get a “no”. But you will see it when you recall. Instead of questioning your worth after another rejection, try to ask yourself, “What exactly is this rejection motivating me to aim for?”
2. Stay open-minded about different career paths
You were told to follow one path: graduate and get a job at a company so you can be considered a successful professional. But sometimes you focus on this path so much that you forget there are many ways to accomplish the same goal. Going to graduate school, taking a gap year, doing freelancing, or even switching to a different industry that has nothing to do with what you’re majoring in — all of these are valid. Some of the most incredible professionals I’ve known over the past years took a unique career path that ultimately paid off because they allowed themselves to be curious.
Your plan doesn’t need to be the same as everyone else’s. It can simply be a plan that lets you try new things and explore opportunities you hadn’t considered yet.
3. Comparison is a theft of joy
Everyone’s success is one scroll away on social media nowadays, which makes it harder not to compare yourself with others. But careers aren’t a race; everyone starts from different places with their own speeds. Spiralling into a “Why not me” question and comparing your path to someone else’s doesn’t do you any favors. The only fair comparison is you and yourself these past months.
So, keep going. You won’t feel everything work out today, but it will be in the future as long as you keep learning and trying – you’ll end up where you’re meant to be.
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