Not personal

I applied to 3 jobs at 3 companies in same line of work. The same job—relatively—in the same town. 2 offered me a job. 1 didn’t.

Does that mean there’s a 33% chance I don’t have what it takes?

Or does it simply mean that, while I most certainly have the skills and expertise to do the job, one measly recruiter made a bad call. Based on next to no information. Or some misguided top-down decree.

It’s not personal.

I reached out to 10 people with the same job in the same industry with the same message. I asked them if they’d mind a short phone call. 4 got back to me. 3 turned me down. 3 ignored my message.

It be foolish to think I need to improve my ‘conversion rate.’ To send a different message to the 6 who didn’t bother.

It could be they’re busy. It could be that they meant to, but forgot. Maybe they don’t check their email, who knows?

Whatever the case, there’s a case to be made that there’s absolutely nothing I could have done differently.

It’s not personal. It’s not a slight on me.

It’s a completely independent choice. Based on little information. A simple cost/benefit analysis. And a micro-second impression. All in their heads. And, entirely immune to the stories going on outside it.

You see? Rejection is not (always) all about you. Many times, it’s about them.