I Ticked All The Boxes But I Wasn’t Selected!

This year has been a rollercoaster ride with a lot of challenges and obstacles. It all started when I decided to take writing seriously. I have learned that nothing comes easy without smartly putting the hard work into it. Being a newbie can be very challenging especially if you do not have anyone experienced to hold your hands and guide you.

I’ve come to realize that experience is key, it doesn’t matter if the experience is coming from you or someone else. I applied for an internship, to gain experience and exposure to the writing industry. First, I got selected by an Indian company as an intern. As a newbie with high expectations, received all tasks with an open mind to learn and to grow. However, I didn’t get the kind of experience and exposure that I was seeking. Eventually, I got the boldness to quit.

A friend took over and I was writing articles for him. He taught me and took me through the rudiments of modern-day writing, the different styles, and the latest trends. Not that I didn’t know how to write, I just needed guidance, polishing, and of course experience with the latest trends in the industry. I’m grateful to him for that and I do not take it lightly. I got better, gained experience, and grew over time.

Since I am in my final year, I started taking applications very seriously, especially since I’ve been trying to build a portfolio career in writing. I applied for jobs, I got selected as a content creator for an organization amongst many other rejections. Asides from content creation, I have been working on my career as well. I’ve applied for various opportunities, however, two opportunities stand out. I applied for a post in Bank of America as an HR intern but I wasn’t selected. I was pained cause I ticked all the boxes.

Over time, I’ve gotten better at writing essays for applications, hence, I didn’t think I was not going to be selected for an interview at least. If I was not going to be shortlisted, I wasn’t expecting it to be at the preliminary stage. However, I received a rejection mail.

It was after I received the mail that I got to realize that to increase your chances of getting selected, you need to apply as soon as the application is open. This is because some organizations run their interviews in batches, from one division or department to another. Hence, chances are that interviews start before the actual deadline.

Last year, I applied for the YALI fellowship. I submitted my application late but before the deadline. For this application, I went all out. I sent my essays to experienced people to help me vet. These essays went through a lot of scrutinies. I gave my heart to it. The only response I got was a mail saying that my application was received. This in the end was heartbreaking because I waited in vain without any further response. I didn’t even get a rejection mail.

We keep learning every day and these are important lessons that I’ve learned and decided to share. Who knows what next I’d learn. 🤷