This is just a quick job search advice post for the week, with one piece of advice I give all too often:
It’s the company’s job to tell you “no.” Don’t do their job for them!
What I mean is that when I work with people and we go through a list of possible jobs to apply for, I get the response “Oh, I’d love to apply, but I’ll probably be rejected.”
Do you know what I tell them? Apply. Anyway. Because (here it comes), you’re right. The company could say no. But that’s THEIR job, not yours. Your job is to apply. Because they could say yes. But if you do its job preemptively, you’ll never know.
Now look, I get it. Rejection is not easy. No, really, I understand. And I completely understand when someone tells me they’ve absorbed all the negative responses they can handle for a while.
BUT…
When you are back on that horse and ready to apply again, you should do so with the intention and belief that “yes” is a very possible answer.
Even if it doesn’t check all the boxes.
Even if you haven’t done exactly this job before.
Even if you think you won’t make it.