I got turned down for another job and this time I’ve decided to have some fun with the company that rejected me.
When it comes to rejection letters, businesses are at a loss. There is no comforting way to tell someone why they’re not good enough to work for your company. (Because that’s what a rejection letter is, really.) If you’re unemployed like I am, or stuck in a dead-end or miserable job, these rejection letters feel like a Black Widow’s bite. The best way to deal with spider bites is squishing the little arachnids before (or after) they sink their fangs into your soft, unprotected flesh. This brings me to my point with…
My Latest Rejection Letter (10/03/2022)
It came from the Super Cool Recruiter Dude from a company close to home. As is the case with other rejection letters, this one filled me with hope before the writer pulled the proverbial rug out from under my feet:
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in opportunities at [Company Name]. We have reviewed your informaton for the position of Senior Copywriter and regret to inform you we have decided to pursue other candidates at this time.”
His misspelling of the word “information” jumped right out at me. (Check his quote again if you missed it.) As far as I’m concerned, this misspelling is proof positive that they need me to fill the erstwhile opening for Senior Copywriter. To prove my point, I immediately sent him this short but poignant reply:
*“information”
Yes, I really went there with the asterisk/misspelling response so commonly used against Facebook know-it-alls with bad grammar. I really am that petty and I didn’t have a chance to work for this company. Mr. Super Cool Recruiter Dude seems to think otherwise as stated in the second half of his rejection letter:
“We will be glad to keep your resume on file should we become aware of any other appropriate positions in the near future. I would also encourage you to visit our website as new positions become available.”
Okay, this is bullshit. I mean, I have 25 years of experience in the field of copywriting. It didn’t seem to do me any good in this case, did it? This particular company seemed to pass on me right out of the gate. No interview, no consideration… just no, which is infuriating. So, if I’m not good enough to work for this company in a position I’m qualified – and possibly over-qualified for – why would said company hire me to fill any of its other roles? In short, it wouldn’t.
Family and Friends Try to Console Me
I’m lucky to have so many well-meaning people in my life. These are the kinds of folks who say something to try to take the sting out of those rejection letters. While I was grousing about this one, they said some things to help make me feel better:
- My experience would lead me to ask for more money than the company is willing to pay for this position.
- While I have experience, I might be lacking in OTHER pertinent experience, such as operating the latest content management platforms, etc.
- Most companies think “anyone can write,” thus they believe that it’s a job not worth a desirable salary.
- If the company didn’t recognize my talent and value, this was a job not worth having.
- Ditto for any company that won’t even give me an interview.
- The company might already have an internal candidate in mind and it just posted the job to go through the motions.
While these responses do make me feel a little better, they also bring up some troubling questions. Take responses one and two, for example. If my experience and salary requirements are keeping me out of working in my field, what do I do? And while I’m all for gaining new experience and skills, that circles back to points No. 1 and 3. The time spent on getting those certifications might be wasted if I’m still “asking too much.”
Usually, I end these posts with some pithy little comment but I won’t do that here. This shit has me rethinking my profession on an existential level and I plan to explore that with more hard-hitting posts to come. Stay tuned.
Want to Help an Unemployed Writer Struggling With Rejection Letters?
Check out my memoir, “Wasted Youth: The Narcissism Recovery of a Punk Rock Kid from Flint.” I thought music was my escape but I was having problems wherever I went. I blamed everyone but myself. When that didn’t work, I lashed out at the people I cared about. Then one day, I got punched in the face by the ugly truth about myself. It knocked me out of my shortcomings and into self-discovery. It’s from this place that I share my cautionary tale. I hope it helps anyone suffering the scars of childhood trauma.
