Why You Want To Be Rejected 9 Times

Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me.
Have you ever hesitated to ask someone out on a date? Perhaps you didn't ask for the date because of the fear of rejection. The fear of rejection is so powerful that it is most often the culprit in forcing us to miss great opportunities. We are afraid to ask for a date, a sale, a job, a pay raise, a promotion, a better price, or chance to speak to a group about our accomplishments because we are afraid of rejection.

Please don't yell at me! I will melt!
Perhaps, the second most powerful variation of fear is that of confrontation. Many of us are afraid of confronting someone else. Why? Confrontation means directly facing an uncomfortable, or even hostile, situation. The job interviewer seems concerned about your resume and expects you to have a good explanation for your employment gap. That can seem confrontational. You might think that in a confrontation you could get hurt emotionally with words or name calling, physically with violence, or spiritually because you feel awful about pointing out someone's flaw or problem. Fear of confrontation stops many of us for asking for our money back, getting an apology, or someone else to cease their inappropriate behavior.

Are you being held back?
Is the fear of rejection or confrontation holding you back from getting the job you want? Getting a job is like making a sale. Your experience is what is for sale and it is your job to sell it to the company that is hiring. Even the best salespeople know you are not going to make a sale to every customer. In fact if you are making 1 out of 10 you are doing well. 9 out of those 10 customers are going to reject the salesperson or even become confrontational about price, quality, or benefits. If the salesperson took it personally she would shut down and stop making sales. That means she wouldn't have an income anymore. That's just not an option.

Get over your fear of rejection and confrontation by labeling them something else. While giving each sales presentation (job interview) your best effort, keep a count. Welcome each rejection or question, because each "no" brings you closer to that magic number 10, also known as "yes"!

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