Dealing with Rejection and aiming for a Career Path without Regrets

Do you ever get that gut-wrenching feeling when you reflect on things in the past that didn’t quite work out? Maybe it was the “one that got away,” an exam that you should have aced but didn’t, or perhaps, the career opportunity that slipped away. You walk home with a heavy heart, your head down, feeling defeated, rejected, and simply gutted.

But as the saying goes – what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger – so it’s important to digest these experiences and reflect on the good that comes out of the bad. This is especially important when it comes down to deciding on one’s career path. In today’s world, the whole job searching process can seem defeating with time-consuming applications, online tests, interviews, networking events, internships and so forth. But the main thing is to evaluate the key things are that you hope to receive. Right now, for example, in your current circumstance, are you learning every day? Are your day-to-day responsibilities reflective of the amount of time and effort you’ve spent doing them? And if you meet amazing people that you consider to be role models or “gurus” in their respective fields, what are you doing to make sure that you maximise the time you spend with them?

It’s easy for us to forget about the excitement of day one in the new job only to find ourselves feeling bored and “stuck in the rut,” followed by moving onto new and better things only with the focus of improving our salary package. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on working in an industry or environment that you’re passionate about and letting your skills develop to the point where you are remunerated for your unquestionable value? How will you feel about your career path when you look back years from today? Will you remember the failures? Will you only remember the successes? Will you remember the colleagues that you worked with? For most of us, it’s the holistic experience that determines what we do next and how our career path is ultimately shaped.

An example of this was when I got a job working as a Consultant at a Management Consultancy firm. I was over the moon when they offered me the position. Truth be told, it didn’t take me long to work out that I wasn’t a perfect fit in the company. I remained optimistic, though, that if I focused on smaller objectives, my contribution would make the experience mutually rewarding. Before too long, I came to realise that it’s not really in anyone’s interests to drag something out when I could potentially be much happier elsewhere. So, I evaluated my options. I had a few choices: 1) Moan and groan about my situation to anyone what would listen, 2) Be thankful that I was employed and continue to work hard in an environment that I didn’t feel valued in, or 3) Be proactive and seek other opportunities that are well suited for my skillset.

If you are determined to do something, you need to believe in making it happen. For those of you that know me, it’s probably not too difficult to work out which option I went for. Fortunately for me, I was presented with an opportunity to work for a small organisation where I can make a real difference to what happens as a Commercial Manager. The role made a lot of sense because I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship, change management and numbers. Although I'm still relatively new to the position, I’m sure that this is one of the more rational decisions that I’ve made in my career.

However, I'm not naive enough to think that all of my future decision-making will be so clear. The way that I see it is that I’m an MBA qualified Commercial Manager with experience in the energy, defence, financial services, and public sectors. My thought process is that I’m 37 years old and the last thing I want in the future is regret. Over the next few years I’m going to take as many (rational and calculated) career risks as possible. I’ll be spending as much of my time on projects and entrepreneurial ventures as I can. When someone's looking for someone to raise their hand to take on an initiative, my hand will be the first one up. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, then I’ll have 38 years to find a ‘good’ job and ‘make it.’

Ultimately, fulfillment and happiness are key in everything that you do, so continue the exciting journey that you’re embarking on and make the most of it – after all, you’re in the driver’s seat of your own destiny.