Dealing with Rejection

It happens to us all...

In life, in love, in work.

But enough of the melodramatic starts. In all seriousness, dealing with rejection in terms of the job hunt is something that I have really come up against recently. 

This is my second round of training contract applications, and obviously the first round was unsuccessful otherwise I would not be putting myself through this again!

I'll put it out there.

Rejection is hard.

But I assume you already knew that. Hopefully I can give you some advice as to how to deal with it. I don't personally think that it ever gets easier, if anything it gets harder when you keep trying but still fail. But what you can do is try to put into practice ways of dealing with it which positively help you. 

My Five Point Plan

1. They don't know you. The rejection is not of you personally. This is a mantra of mine, and it is a little hard to explain. But essentially what the HR reps are judging is you on paper. I have a 2.1 law degree from Warwick, though it is certainly not a strong 2.1. Maybe I am wrong but I think that is my main barrier to an interview shortlist. Especially when competition is so tight that there are possibly 10 like you, but they have a "better" degree.
   
   What I focus on instead is my feedback from professional experiences I have had. My work-experience employer (a corporate lawyer) was very positive about the work I have done for him. And even my team who I lead as President of the University's Riding Club were thankful for the work I had done (correct me if I'm wrong guys!).
   
   Try and focus on the positives, and when you next try to fill out an application make sure you emphasise these.
   
   
2. Dealing with friends and family can be hard. If you are like me I would rather talk about my struggles as little as possible. I have certain people that I will talk to- my parents and my best friend but aside from this I get fed up of people asking.
   I know that they ask only out of concern, but for my own personal sanity I want to avoid thinking about it too much.
   
   I have a really good relationship with my friends and family, and so I have made a rule with them that if I approach the topic first then we can talk about it. Whether this will be helpful to you is really up to you. Personal preferences and all.
   
   
3. Can anything be fixed? Maybe the reason you are being rejected is because there are silly mistakes in  you applications? Or maybe there is something missing to tip you over the edge?
   Ask other people to read your application, and many careers departments will read your applications and give you feedback. See if this is something your university can offer you. I know Warwick even offer this to alumni for several years after. So this is worth checking out.
   
   
4. Try again. Simple as. Pick yourself back up. Next application.
   
   
5. Remember, it is OK to feel bad. Feeling upset or angry is perfectly normal. It shows you care. If you didn't feel some sort of upset then maybe you aren't pursuing the right career.
   
   However, don't let it consume you. Feel bad for a bit, and then channel yourself into something else. 

To conclude...

I hope that all made sense. And I hope it is of some help to you. I have to say even just writing this all out has made ME feel better. Ahhhh free internet therapy. 

I will next speak to you on Friday. Haven't decided what to write about yet. It's all very mysterious and exciting. Good luck everyone. 

Much Needed Update... THE FUTURE!

The future is a scary place...

I'm sure you know that as much as I do. But this particular blog post isn't going to be one of those scary ones that make you question your life choices thus far, so much so that you go to the freezer to get out a pint of Ben & Jerry's. 

It is instead a quick update on the future of this blog, and where I see it going. 

First off, an apology. I haven't really posted recently, and this is because I have been swamped with training contract apps really. But what this DOES mean is that I have stored up lots of ideas for topics in this time. Keep checking back for these!

So where is it going? Get on with it woman. 

Well I would like to keep the blog mainly concerning the university/job aspect, as I feel this is what I set it up to do. And I think the feedback from most of you is that there aren't many blogs out there like it, and it is also nice to know that someone real (not a company or a careers adviser etc) is going through the same things. 

However, I would also like to start including some "comment" type things that you see in newspapers- concerning things that I see on the news, or something I have an opinion on. But some of these things may be commercial awareness relevant- so those on the job-hunt may find these useful too. 

So I have decided to try and commit myself to a timetable. 

Sundays: Comment

Wednesdays: Careers and University

Fridays: Mystery post of the week

So pretty straight forward really. This timetable starts from Wednesday. So I will look forward to seeing what you think, and any feedback is always very welcome!

So I shall leave you for now. Enjoy the nice weather. My legs are still not bloomin' tanning. Typical.

Until the next time, here is a seal photobombing, found after I spent too much time on Buzzfeed. 

The Overqualified & Under-qualified Puzzle

First things first...

Apologies for my lack of posts recently, I have been in the process of moving out of university and coming back to my home in Kent. I have now officially moved out and the end of university has never seemed more real. Very sad times!

I also was pre-occupied with getting my results. I managed to get the "magic" 2.1 classification (though admittedly this was a scrape with a mark of 61- just between you and I). Obviously it is nice to have that to back up all my job applications, but if you didn't get quite what you wanted it is definitely not the end of the world. It just might mean you have to graft a bit harder to get where you want to go, or perhaps go a different way. 

So what is the topic today?

Today is all about my hunt to find a somewhat relevant job in my year off, and what my plans are now I have a 2.1. I will not say much on this but I have had one thought which I will ponder some more:

Now I have a 2.1, if I can get a relevant job this year that can demonstrate transferable skills to being a trainee solicitor then I am much more persuaded to invest in the LPC if I have to. The LPC (or the Legal Practice Course is the next stage in becoming a solicitor and is a kind of postgraduate course) is expensive but hopefully with the degree and a job a training contract is a much more realistic prospect, with a greater chance of it being a good investment. 

But I digress...

I have recently been applying for jobs, scouring the internet by "Googling" law firms in Kent and going through each one individually to see if they have any vacancies. Which brings me to:

Advice No 1: If you want to work as a paralegal then apply to firms directly- agencies tend to have experience requirements which firms in reality may not have if you possess a law degree. 

I found a position for an junior administrative job at a small local firm. Yes admittedly it is not my dream, but I genuinely believe I can get a lot out of it- I can see how a law firm operates at a basic level, and I can meet qualified solicitors who have been there and done it. It is also MUCH more relevant than other jobs I have looked at which range from shop assistant to receptionist. 

I duly sent my CV and got a reply the next day saying that she would consider me, but she thought I was overqualified. 

BUT THAT IS JUST THE ISSUE!

I have been on the path to try and be a solicitor for 4 years now, I have relevant work experience and a relevant degree- but I did not get an offer for a training contract. Most paralegal and legal secretary positions want previous experience, or if not that the LPC to already be completed. 
So I am left with little else! 

But aside from this, I applied for this job for a reason; I believe I can benefit from it and I also think they could benefit from a candidate like me (hopefully that didn't come across as boasting!) with some experience of how a law firm might function. 

So people like us seem to be stuck in a place where we may be qualified for something- but you apply and get no success! And if you apply for jobs that are perhaps more junior, people will write you off as being too qualified. 

Quite the predicament. 

So what do I do?

Well all the advice I can give you is what I did. As I see it you have to be a little scrappy. Leading to Advice No 2:

• Be honest from the beginning- yes I would like to move on to other things, but I think this job is the right thing for me at the moment in the current economy especially.
• Contact the company again- I sent off an email that reassured the contact that I believe I would be happy in the role and that I would like them  to still consider me. I guess by thinking someone is overqualified they are concerned that the candidate will have low job satisfaction and therefore an attitude might emerge?
  I don't know- but try and convince them this will not be the case.

To round things up...

I think that was about it. More of a rant today than anything. And sorry if it was a little law-specific. Hopefully some of the issues will transfer into other spheres! If they do let me know... And if anyone else has any nuggets of advice please feel free to comment below or tweet me!

I will leave you with this text I received from my dad just before I moved out. Hopefully it will help you as much as it did for me!