Rejection is hard. Especially with the hours spent putting in the work to achieve that goal. I spent my whole youth in fear of not landing a spot on a sports team, play, or musical. All of which resulted in a mix of disappointment, tears, and acceptance of the opportunities that I did land.
Each rejection resulted some sort of benefit. I didn’t get into the high school tennis team, but it lead to more time to devote to concert band, which I loved. I didn’t get into NYU for my undergrad, but I got into Hofstra University, which gave me some amazing friends that I’ve kept in touch with 10+ years later.
You may have heard the cliche “Everything happens for a reason”, it’s true, but there were times where I thought, “THEN WHAT IS THE REASON?”
Several years ago, I had been freelancing as a photo editor for two years, and not feeling professionally fulfilled. I was looking for more stability for myself, and opportunities that will benefit my lifestyle and career growth. I set out to look for companies that I was interested in as well as seek job posts that intrigued me. I devoted time into the research, the preparation, and all the steps to set myself up for success.
However, I failed. I was rejected by 12 companies within a four month period. This was heartbreaking, and I felt confused and defeated. Thoughts of feeling insignificant and worthless filled my head, and I kept overanalyzing these past interviews on what I did wrong. I didn’t want to give up and let go of all the hard work, but pivoting was the only option I had to fix the problem.
I took a big step back and accepted a receptionist position at a car dealership. This wasn’t what I was expecting, and not a part of my career advancement plan, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
The job was simple. Greet customers as they come in and answer the phone to guide them in finding their dream car. Considering I am an introvert and terrified of phone calls, this was a big hurdle for me at the time. However, it was a great opportunity to strengthen my communication skills, and while channeling my inner Pam Beesley, I made a game out of watching the predictability out on the sales floor.
I learned so much from my colleagues from that time. Everyone I worked with came from different backgrounds in demographics, education, and skills. I was notably inspired by a female colleague, Roberta, an immigrant from Brazil who had to put in 1000% effort to stand out in a male dominated industry as she was the only saleswoman on the team. She was tough, friendly, and always dressed to impress in a colorful suit. There was also Steve, the most extroverted person I’ve ever met, who was most successful working with families coming into the dealership as he has six of his own children. The general manager, Harlan, also fascinated me, as he had been working on the e-commerce side of the car industry and wanted to give managing a dealership a try…and someone gave him the chance.
What was special about these three, and many others I worked with, was that they all had unique talents and were passionate about what they were doing. They inspired me to rethink the balance of grit, passion, and expertise in a growing career and got me moving towards my own goals.
While I had downtime during slower hours, I researched what kind of career I wanted and what opportunities were out there match all of those things. This lead me to user experience design.
Since those days at the car dealership, almost a decade later, I’ve built a career that I am passionate about and intellectually fulfilled. Career paths are different for everyone and there are many ways to approach how you can succeed. Below, I’ll share the questions I asked myself to pivot out of my career rut.
What am I interested in?
I already had experience in digital marketing and worked with photography and graphic design, so I was interested in remaining in something similar. My role as a receptionist made me realize that I enjoyed working with clients to achieve their goals. I had also been intrigued by emerging tech and the advancement in digital product design.
What am I good at?
I am computer savvy and have an eye for design. Adapting to different computer software was natural for me and I could handle basic html/css. I also realized, while introverted, I appreciate one-on-one conversations that can get deep on a topic, which I now realize it is why I love user research.
Who is already doing what I want to do?
It is true, your career is as strong as your network. I joined various design and technology related organizations, meetups, and online communities to meet people and expanded my LinkedIn network. I also reached out to individuals who had jobs that I admired and offered a coffee chat to learn more about them and their career path.
If additional education or certification required, what do I need to learn?
My path lead to additional education to leverage my chances at more opportunities. Related to the above networking, I reached out to alums of the programs that interested me to get an inside view of their experience. I asked about their background, prior experience, and the ROI within their career.
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