‘Am I not worthy enough?’ Lessons from a man rejected from Goldman Sachs, LinkedIn, the Big 4, and more

Imagine you are amidst a tense and steamy basketball match, and you are in charge of the ball right now, dabbling it all the way to the opponent team's court. In the last three-match segments, you helped score three baskets for your team, and now have to score one more to ace the game. Your eyes are set on the basket as the final minute remains. Coordinating your sight and position you aim for the basket and flick the ball in the air towards its ultimate destination.

It strikes the rim of the basket, takes a round of its circumference and the moment your team is about to celebrate its win, the ball falls on the other side and the final whistle blows... nothing short of an epic heartbreak, right?

You lost the match by a few micrometers, destiny, or probably both. But does that make you a loser? No. Though you accept defeat in that match, you also gear up to face the next one with more focus, agility, strength, and determination, and this reaction is what makes you a sportsperson. The spirit of sportsmanship applies to other aspects of life as well, and one of the perfect examples of such persistence and a never-say-never attitude is Jonathan Javier.

In the past two years, Jonathan had appeared in interviews for several dream companies like LinkedIn, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, PwC, and Google. Although he made it far in the final round - the interview process, he was rejected by all of them.

You have cleared all the technical rounds of the hiring process and have finally made it to the final interview, following which you await the results with full optimism.

You receive an email the next week wherein you are asked to speak with the recruiter-on call the next day, which makes you even more excited and confident about landing the job offer.

However, when you do set up a call the next day, all you get to hear is "The team adored your enthusiasm and personality. Nonetheless, as of now, the company is proceeding further with another candidate. Best wishes for your future endeavors". At that moment one would tend to feel as if the entire world has crashed down in front of him-dejected, utterly sad, and failed- right?

Jonathan’s seven lessons from rejections

Jonathan Javier went through exactly similar emotions on getting rejected by the companies he and everyone dream to work for. An array of self-criticizing and rather introspective questions flashed in front of his eyes:

Am I not worthy enough?

What loopholes did I fall into?

What do I lack in myself?

What mistakes did I commit?

But he didn't let such emotions overwhelm him for long. He tightened his shoelaces, rekindled his determination and spirit, and marched towards working even harder to achieve his dreams.

Today, Jonathan Javier is the founder and CEO of Wonsulting, helping non-target schools/non-traditional backgrounds land jobs. He also has previously worked with Google, Snap.Inc, and Cisco.

Isn't it amazing? Let's dive into seven Millennial lessons he has shared for all the ambitious people out there!

There lies a reason behind every happening

You might have lost your chance at landing your dream job but that doesn't imply that there's nothing left to achieve. You must realize that it's the potential closure of only one door and more doors leading to bundles of opportunity are already about to open.
Always look at the brighter aspect of whatever happens. Being pessimistic will only drain you of your energy. Believe that everything will become alright. Focus on the bigger picture and know that ultimately you'll reach your dream destination.

There's no waste in the world created by god. The problem lies in the incorrect perception of the world and what you have been given. Whatever efforts you had put into getting that job will surely pay off later.

Misfortunes serve as arrangements for greater comebacks

Setbacks are intended to rouse you to bring you up from disappointments, not cut your growth and spirit down. One stride backward should motivate us to take two steps forward. Think decidedly and realize that better things are ahead as long as you put the work in and gain from past encounters.

Start from today itself. The problem with most of us is that the future is where our supposed happiness lies, so we tend to live in the future. The past is where we had faced setbacks, so we continue to mourn the past. But today is your whole life in miniature-focus on accomplishing the today every day.

Rather than retracting focus on reacting

Often we tend to retract whenever we fail or face rejection. That means we disconnect ourselves and think we are not adequate.
But what is that one thing that sets people apart? Well, it is their viewpoint towards rejection and life in general. The way they choose to respond to failures-retract or react- distinguishes them from the rest of the crowd.

Jonathan mentions "Michael Jordan was dismissed and cut off by his varsity secondary school group in his sophomore year. Although he got rejected, he responded to this dismissal by his sincere determination, patience, perseverance, and consistent hard work to be the best at his school and to eventually overwhelm the game he adored on a national level. Presently, he is arguably the best NBA basketball player the world has ever witnessed."

Hence, rejection ought to propel us to land that next dream opportunity, gaining from the past and improving what's to come.

Gearing yourself up to face adversity with more strength and optimism will ultimately give you the power to conquer it and achieve what you may.

The first attempt is never the last one

Just because you faced rejection once doesn't mean you won't have another chance; for a considerable lot of the loftiest organizations, up-and-comers don't land the job in their first attempt.
Stay in contact with those you meet and be associated with them during the cycle, as chances of the emergence of any future opportunities are always high.

Jonathan further includes “Always be loaded on the 2P's: perseverance and persistence!”

You may feel right now that you cannot move forward in life, but could the reason be simply that you are struggling alone? There is a limit to what an individual can achieve on his own, so if you really want to have an upper edge in this world, consider having other people on your side to support and help you out.

Gain from criticism and past botches

After the interview round, a few organizations will give you input in regards to your meetings, what you did well, and where you went wrong.
Gain from this input by recording all the areas you need to work upon, regardless of whether it was a question that popped up in the interview or a particular topic you weren't aware of.
Make a proper document or file containing all the questions posed to you that you can recollect and ace answering them as exhaustively as could be expected.

Analyze your weak points, is it the communication skills? aren't you confident enough? or do you lack sufficient knowledge on some important topics? - whatever the reason might be, just eliminate them.

Always give your 100% effort

"I refer to it as the 'cost of 99%' that alludes to continually giving it your all in all that you do. If you only plan out the 99% strategy, the remaining 1% might be the cause behind you facing rejection.”

"That 1% may likewise be the reason behind why you're not arriving at your latent capacity and ultimate potential.” summarizes Jonathan.

As the adage goes, "99% is hard. 100% is easy". It doesn't make any difference how leisurely you accomplish your fantasies and aspirations as long as you don't quit running after them.

The hunger to achieve your goals must be consistent. A pond gets filled drop-by-drop, similarly, small and consistent strides towards your dream job would ultimately make you land it.

Go with the flow

Sometimes, we attempt to control things that lie beyond our scope. In doing so we mess up, regardless of whether it is during an interview or another distressing circumstance. We should do whatever it takes not to restrict ourselves and exclusively center around things that might take a wrong turn.

All things being equal, we ought to stay idealistic. It will help us enter any situation where the result might be rejection and acceptance with confidence and a rake of optimism.

Jonathan concludes "Whenever you get rejected, recollect that it isn't the apocalypse; it's just the start of something new. In some cases, things aren't intended to happen immediately, and we can't generally get all that we need. We must be patient, as we flourish not when we've done everything but rather when we actually have more to do. Continue to take a stab at achieving greatness notwithstanding dismissals and failures, since no matter what, it's on you to get to where you need to be."

Success covers a broad scope and is not merely restricted by money, fame, or the ability to manage tasks well. It's equally about getting the best out of your capabilities, gaining respect, managing stress, and leading a balanced, calm, and fulfilling life.

We often tend to look for solutions externally while trying to solve our problems, only to get frustrated over the regular popping up of the same problems. What's the solution then? You are the solution. It lies within you, in your actions, viewpoints, and behavior-look within, and works on building a better version of yourself.