Getting a "no" for the first time

the same sports ed that I strung for my senior year in college sent me a rejection e-mail for a full-time job that I applied for but probably wasn't yet qualified for, but a year later went above and beyond to help me land my current gig. So, it works out in the long run and for that I'm forever grateful.

 

There is a ton of turnover in this business.

June's rejection could mean a job offer from the same place in July.

That's how it worked for my first job in 1983.

In November 1985, I interviewed at a bigger paper . . . and was told I came in second.

One month later, I got another interview (from an even bigger paper which, coincidentally, had given my name to the aforementioned bigger paper).

I got that job . . . and am still there.

 

That was my first experience getting rejected -- after the sports editor all but handed me the job.  The new ME decided to strip the SE of hiring power and go through his own list of guys.  That one stung a little.  

Five months later, I got a better job at a paper that paid about 50 percent more, which eliminated the punch-to-the-gut feeling entirely.

 

Mungo, your name rawks.

 

i got over 75 rejection letters when i was in journalism.

now that i'm in law school my stack of rejections is piling up fast. i have about 25. one firm was considerate enough to send me four rejection letters nine months after i applied. obviously there was some computer glitch but that didn't make me feel any better. i mean i get it already. i don't need four rejection letters. actually, they sent three and one asking me to return a survey indicating my racial background. um, no, i'm not filling out your stupid survey.

 

I applied to every major paper in the U.S. after my first job ended after a three-year series of contracts. Probably about 30 in all.

No, I certainly wasn't qualified to work at just about all of 'em. But what the heck. Can't hurt.

This was 10 years ago, but I at least got a response from just about every one. Pretty much form for the most part, but not all. All were extremely polite, except for the one from the Chicago Tribune assistant M.E.

Still remember it, and I'm paraphrasing with my own bitter spin: "As a friendly tip (that part was verbatim), I suggest you gain experience at a decent-sized paper before you waste my precious time with your sorry-ass clips."

Actually, my experience was at quite a large paper, more than large enough for her not to turn up her nose at it. That one stung a little. But I hear she got hers soon after. ;D

I still kept all those letters, and just recently came across them and re-read them. The least nice was from the paper I now work for.
Funny, I've since met several of those sports editors since then, two of whom I turned down for jobs. Wish I'd remembered those letters at the time, so I could bring it up.

 

They've never really bothered me too much. Mostly I'm actually appreciative that they told me I was out of the running, rather than not sending anything along.

The one "no" that truly bothered me was when I had a phone interview with a paper about a year ago. I thought it had gone pretty well, but the SE never called me back or even e-mailed to say "thanks but no thanks." WTF

 

As does yours.

 

i thought this thread was "getting a ho for the first time."

 

I got my first "no" out of the way before college was over -- which was helpful, really, in terms of helping me understand what the interview process was all about. I still appreciate the guy who pushed me to make the trip and take that interview.