Drowning In Job Rejections? You Are Not Alone

If you are tired of people telling you things like, “I found a job in two weeks. Why haven’t you found a job in two years? You’re not looking hard enough,” check out some of these stories graduates who, despite doing well in school and being very skilled at what they do, had a really tough go at finding jobs in recent years.

Adam Pacitti, a media production graduate, was so desperate to find work at age 24 after repeated failures that he spent his last £500 on a massive billboard advertisement which said, “I Spent My Last £500 On This Billboard. Please Give Me A Job,” and listed a website. As of this time, so far as we know, Pacitti is still unemployed, but has reported that more than 50 companies have called him to discuss possibilities. This just goes to show that acknowledging and accepting your own desperation can actually be a step along the path to success.

Pasha Stocking, a marketing executive who lost her job in the recession spent $2,000 on a billboard in Connecticut in 2010. Her billboard, like Pacitti’s asked those who drove by it to consider giving her a job. During this time however she discovered her passion for entrepreneurship and started her own company.

Brian John Spencer studied law and graduated, only to find himself unemployed for the next two years, wondering at rejection after rejection. During that time, however, he got into blogging and realized he could make a living as a freelance writer, and enjoy that life more than one where he worked at a 9-5 job. Now he is grateful for the tough experience he went through because he realizes he will likely be happier over the long run.

It can be extremely demoralizing to not only be having an impossible time finding work, but believing that you’re the only one, and that you’re somehow “doing it wrong.” But you’re not necessarily doing anything wrong—and the reality is that there are a ton of other people who are struggling just as much as you are. And that’s the case whether you’re young or old, recently graduated or graduated years ago. Realizing that you’re not alone is important.

What’s also important is to realize that if you’re not finding a job right away, you should be taking this time to evaluate what it is you really want from life. It might be a good time to consider a different career field, go back to school, get a new certification, think about going into business for yourself, or something else altogether. See if you can turn a negative experience into a springboard for a positive future. Success often rises from the ashes of failure.