When I first moved to the Bay Area, I found myself relentlessly searching for employment. I submitted countless applications and sent numerous emails and messages, in hopes of finding a great fit for my skills and interests. 

The rejection was real and the job search began to knock my confidence and dampen my enthusiasm. Talk about needing to shake the job search blues! 

In the midst of my search I found a great company but I was only qualified for the entry-level positions. Not preferred in the least but I thought long and hard and decided to put my pride aside and humble myself. I didn’t let my degrees, experience, or title influence my decision.

Getting a Foot in the Door

I took the entry-level position and worked my butt off for 14 months because I realized that having a foot in the door, was way better than standing in front of a closed door. And not surprisingly, in my persistence, a door flung wide open for me. Shortly after my one year anniversary at Asana I was promoted to another awesome team within the company that was more in line with my skills and interests and even got a raise, y’all!

“Having a foot in the door, is way better than standing in front of a closed door.”
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Even with a broken heart I was determined and remained persistent. I was willing to take an entry level role because I kept the big picture in mind (getting my foot in the door).

When we find ourselves in situations where our heart is set on a goodness that shimmers from an opportunity only to have the rug pulled from under us with a rejection… recovery is easier said than done.

Are you willing to work harder now, so you can get what you truly want in the future? Your blessing is on the other side of hard work and quite frankly, as Mick Jagger reminds us, “When you don’t get what you want, you find what you need.”

Dusting off and continuing on requires a few very important actions. 

Shake the Job Search Blues: 4 Tips to Help You Deal, When Rejection is Real

1. Humility: Be able to recognize that we are owed nothing and that successes take a mix of hard work, recognition, and opportunity. As you continue to grow, network, and learn the playing field, more opportunities will open and you’ll be ready to pounce.

2. Self Care: Know that you cannot pour from an empty cup. We must continue to make wholesome deposits into ourselves so that we can continue to offer the best of what we have to offer. This includes exercise, getting enough sleep, therapy, eating well, cultivating our spirituality, and curating quiet moments to breathe!

3. Introspection: Stay real with yourself. Be honest about where you must grow, what you might need to learn, and how you can continue developing your craft.

4. Support: Reach out for help, care, and encouragement from people you trust and who can relight your fire when it starts to dim. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions, request feedback, and advocate for yourself as necessary while you navigate opportunities.

But don’t ever forget, your biggest resource is YOU! We as black people (especially black women) can go out and create the opportunities we want and don’t have to wait for them to come to us. As the illustrious Solange reminds us: Create your own committees, build your own institutions, give your friends awards. Be the gold you wanna hold.”

So here is to you my friend, I’m giving you an award for how brilliant, possible, and empowered you are. Cheers to all the good that surfaces after the bad.

Reflection Question: Are you willing to work harder now, so you can get what you truly want in the future? What are you willing to sacrifice to get your foot in the door?