AG - PFO, I’m starting to believe none of these applications are good enough
Not at all! We're all more than sure that you'll get something! Remember, it's not because it's a smaller firm, compared to
Linklaters or HL, that a PFO means you're not good enough... Think of it this way: in an application cycle to US unis, some people get rejected from Dartmouth (the lowest ranked Ivy League university [equivalent technically to Russel Group]), yet still get accepted into Harvard, Yale and Princeton in the same cycle! A bit unrealistic with UK unis, but you get the point; it's like getting an offer from Oxford and LSE but being rejected from the university of Liverpool...
My point being: the recruitment team was simply looking for someone who aligns more with what they are looking for; doesn't mean, in any way shape or form, that you are not good enough - it's simply means that, at least according to them, you might not particularly fit too well with exactly what they are looking for! It's part of the process, just keep applying and don't forget, most firms' acceptance rate is extremely low, on average it's a 1.7% acceptance rate; keep your head up and you'll get something!
