We don't wanna hire you

I thought when I got married, rejection would disappear. Or at least be easier to handle.

Not that my bride rejected anything I did lately. No, this rejection was from a job I recently applied for.

"Thank you for interviewing with us via Skype. We enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with you and discuss your credentials. 


"While we do appreciate the time you spent in talking with us, we identified another candidate who has been hired for position of Development for our school. 


"Thank you again for your interest in the ---------------------------------------- School. We wish you success in your future endeavors."


I applied for a Director of Devolopment position back in October, then promptly forgot about it until earlier in June when they finally wrote back to say they were starting interviews. I actually interviewed via Skype due to being out of town to visit my family, which was great for the sake of convenience, but I wonder if I would have done any better if it had been in person.

That said, had I cut my vacation with my family short and got rejected for the job, I would have really felt like ass. I think spending time with my family was the right call (and the ones in charge of the interview told me not to cut my family time short, that Skype would be just fine).

True, I didn't have any fundraising experience, which definitely hurt me, but I think my journalism background and skill with social media would have helped tremendously. Some of the ideas I pitched to them included more frequent web updates, video of kids in school, weekly blog updates from teachers, and podcast episodes featuring teachers and students.

The point I was trying to make to the people conducting the interview is that if you can get people to become emotionally invested in your product and feel a connection through Twitter, Facebook and blog updates, then you are more likely to raise money and boost enrollment.

I really though my plan of attack was foolproof, but apparently not. It's not like I needed this job, but the idea of having a job that doubled my yearly salary was all kinds of amazing. Still, this rejection notice hurt more than some of the previous ones. Perhaps I was too cocky or confident. Regardless, I feel motivated beyond belief now.

I think I'll frame the rejection letter above my computer. That way, when another great opportunity comes along, I'll have this memory of failure fresh in my mind. If that doesn't motivate me, I'm not sure what will.