HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTIONS?
Rejections seem to be an inevitable part of the process that everybody, at some point, will experience. Although they are very difficult to face, especially as many applicants are high-achievers in the legal industry, they can teach us so much. They contribute to making us understand if the legal industry is a sector we are genuinely passionate about or not, as so many quit after their first two/three rejections. However, if being a lawyer is really what you want to be, quitting is not an option. It certainly was not an option for me. After 15+ rejections, some of which came back to back the same day sometimes, I knew I could not give up as being a lawyer has always been my goal in life. One thing that I always pushed myself to think whilst receiving many rejections is that rejection does not determine your potential or value, although it might be difficult to comprehend that in the moment. Keep in mind that each "no" you receive today will get you one step closer to the appropriate "yes." This setback is merely a stepping stone towards something even better. Your value and abilities remain unaltered. It is fundamental that you maintain your resilience, believe in your own abilities, and have faith that better days are ahead and your dreams will become true. I want to share some tips that helped me dealing with rejections when I was applying:
Acknowledging your feeling is key
After being rejected, it's common to experience hurt, disappointment, or even rage. You invest so much time, effort and energy in the applications so it is totally understandable to feel this way. Instead of repressing these feelings, let yourself to experience them. It shows that you do care about your dream and it is something that you should be proud of. This rejection is merely a diversion, not the end of the road; you are capable of accomplishing great things. Spend some time taking care of yourself, regain your strength, and continue along. You can succeed at this! I think it is also important to put everything into perspective. When I was receiving rejections, my friends and family had to remind me that rejection does not, in and of itself, indicate your personal worth. Keep this in mind. Most of the time, it's the outcome of particular situations, tastes, or standards that might not match your own.
Pay attention to what the rejection has taught you
With every rejection, I felt like I was learning how to write better answers to application questions. As a matter of fact, by my 16th application onward, I witnessed so many positive results. This made me feel better and it made all those rejections worth it in the end. Consider rejection a chance for personal development and introspection. Consider how you can get better going forward and what you can learn from the experience. Rejection also taught me that it is not a temporary thing. You will not experience rejection all the time and this is important to remember!
Take time to understand what went wrong
More often than not this is going to be very difficult to do especially if you were rejected at application stage as feedback is not provided. What I mean by this is to try to reach to someone who was successful in the process and try to compare your application and your style of writing and putting things down to them. Chances are you will understand why the application was not successful this cycle and you can work to improve it for the next.
Stay consistent with improving your weaknesses
One of my main issues when I first started applying was improving my writing. Many struggle with commercial awareness, video interview, case studies or partner interviews. I think it is important to stay consistent with preparation regardless of the rejections you face and stay persistent. Working on your weaknesses calls for some help most of the time. When I received a rejection, I used to contact a friend and have them read my answers and tell me what they thought was missing or did not sound right or correct. That exercise in itself allowed me to ameliorate my writing so much. Never hesitate to ask for help and encouragement from friends and family. You can process easily what you did wrong and get perspective by talking about them with someone. If you got rejected after an assessment centre, chances are you will be able to receive a piece of feedback. That would be invaluable as it will serve as a starting point for your improvement.
Keep your eyes on the prize
Remember that it is important for you to keep going regardless of the amount of rejections. You really need to keep your eyes on the prize if becoming a commercial solicitor is what you really want to do. Whilst facing my rejections, I did not have a plan B I could fall back on. I was determined to get a training contract. Strive to maintain your positive attitude and concentrate on the areas of your application journey that you can ameliorate easily. If you know you struggle with commercial awareness, staying up to date with commercial awareness even when you are not applying to law firms will allow you to be very confident and knowledgeable when it comes to technical interview/ case study/ commercial interviews. It is also important to remind yourself of your accomplishments and strong points outside of this process, that will make you realise the strengths of your application and distance yourself from the rejections. This is something that really helped me to stay focused and seeing results later down my application cycle.
