Rejection Is A Good Thing
Recently, I read an article by a prominent human resource firm consultant and he suggests that the best way to attain employment is to show that you are qualified, competent, and the right fit for an organization. Although this theory makes sense, rarely have I seen an employee hired because of all three characteristics. Most of the time, the candidates I seen attain employment were not qualified or competent; they were hired because they fit the organization's culture to be tailor made.
Candidates that do not fit an organization’s culture are usually sent a rejection letter or email couched in inoffensive language. Such a letter usually has a statement that claims, “you do not fit the organization’s qualifications at this time” or “we chose an applicant whose background and experience more closely align with our current needs”. Be that as it may, a rejection letter should be viewed as a company informing you that they are unsure if you can be molded. It is a letter indicating that the organization believes you cannot be transformed into an employee that will just follow orders or is submissive. Sadly, many organizations prefer to hire an employee that will obey a supervisor’s idea regardless if there is a more reasonable and better solution. In other words, organizations want employees that will not question their business decisions.
In any event, you should never take a rejection letter personally. Granted, receiving such a letter is upsetting but it does not define who you are. Generally speaking, rejection is a good thing. In reality, you may experience rejection because you are not only qualified but because you posses a level of competence that intimidates others. In other words, most search committees do not hire the best candidate because they think that the new hirer will rise and eventually take their position. To simply put it, search committee members can be extremely insecure. For instance, I have witnessed many committee members search for reasons not to hire employees instead of looking for justification for employment. As a result, instead of seeking individuals that will help enhance an organization they just protect the status quo.
By the same token, when you experience rejection you must recognize that it is a spiritual message reminding you that it is always best to do for self. Rejection causes you to revaluate yourself and prompts you to work harder. For example, before Jay-Z was a business mogul, he was a rapper that was rejected by many record companies. He was rejected so much that he and his partner Dame Dash started their own label. They followed the philosophy “we shouldn't let other people make money off us” and the rest is history.
In conclusion, seeking employment and getting employed is great. However, you should never work for someone or somewhere that does not allow you to be yourself because that is a slave mentality. By all means, a primary goal in life should be to become self-made and not tailor made.
