Rejection

     This morning I woke up to an email from a company I'd applied for as a freelance writer. They had posted online that there were a few writing gigs open and were looking for a writer for either short-term or long-term projects.

     Oh, oh, pick me!

     Unfortunately, the email was not the exact one I'd expected. Rejection. I felt like the word had just been stamped on my forehead. At this time, my skills are just not a match for what they are looking for, but they appreciate my taking the time to apply and wish me luck in the future. I admit I moped a bit... just a tiny bit, really. Then I realized that I hadn't taken my own advice about resume writing. I opened up the files I had sent over plus my writing samples, and I knew exactly why I hadn't been accepted.
     I write resumes for people as part of my freelance job, and I believe I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. However, I hadn't followed my own rules for my own resume. 


     1.  I didn't personalize my resume or writing samples to what they company wanted. If a company wants articles detailing the medicinal uses of specific herbs, I would have been golden. However, this company's writers often take on jobs requiring technical writing skills, not brief essays.


     2.  My work experience was generic and all over the place. There is something to be said for showing versatility, but many companies are looking for a specific type of writer, and I could have easily been mistaken for someone who just couldn't get it together.


     3.  My objective was too brief and nondescript. I've written many different styles of resumes with objectives ranging from conversational in tone to brief and technical. In this case, I believe the "brief-ness" was mark in my favor, but the objective-- like my resume as a whole-- was generic.


     I'm disappointed, of course, but I believe I've been humbled quite a bit. My experience doesn't matter one bit if it is not presented in a way that shows its value to whatever company to which I'm applying. I'm taking this chance to improve my resume and really put my best foot forward. I may even turn this experience into an article!

     How have you dealt with writer's rejection letters and job rejections?