Rejection is one of those things everyone tells you to expect but no one really teaches you how to handle. I learnt that lesson this spring, when I started looking for an internship for the fifth semester of my bachelor of arts and culture.
In my programme, third-year students can either study abroad, take a minor, or do an internship. Because I am already studying abroad and didn’t want to take more university courses, I set my sights on the third option. Listening to upper-year students talk about their internship experiences, I innocently assumed it wouldn’t be too hard to land one. The reality was harsher.
I’m the type who prepares things early. More than six months before the new academic year, I had already begun applying. Some companies replied, some didn’t bother. I reached the interview stage a few times, but more often I was filtered out at the CV screening. In the end, most of my applications turned into rejection emails. I began to hate the word “unfortunately,” because every message seemed to begin with it.
I tried to remind myself that rejection doesn’t define my worth. It only means I wasn’t the right fit this time. Still, when three rejections arrived in the same month, my motivation almost faded. A friend comforted me by saying: “it’s their loss.” Whenever I feel discouraged, I repeat her words to myself. After all, I know more about my strengths than any company that only glanced at my CV.
Eventually, I found an internship that intrigued me, so I’m no longer as frustrated. But with master’s applications ahead, the fear of rejection still persists. I’ve already thought of loads of backup plans, just in case. People say you’ll get used to it. Maybe. For now, I think rejection never becomes easy — but each time, you learn how to stand up a little faster.
Rejection sucks. But it also proves you’re trying, reaching, and pushing beyond your comfort zone. And I hope that when one door closes, there will always be another one waiting to be knocked on.
Yuki Nakamura, third year bachelor student Arts and Culture