(RANT) Mental Health Suffering After Striking Out This Recruiting Cycle
I've been on a downward spiral for the past couple months and as a result my GPA, mental health and physical wellbeing has all been dropping because I failed to land anything for sophomore summer. To make it worse, everytime I open LinkedIn I see people with substantially worse GPAs, extracurriculars, competitions and work experience land offers that I didn't even get a first round for. To make it worse, I've only had 2 interviews for Summer 2024 before I completely struck out. To make it even worse, I didn't work a classic "finance" job over freshman summer like PWM or at a search fund like some people do, so I feel like I'm genuinely screwed for junior recruiting which is starting in a month or two (adding even more pressure). Finally, I got auto-dinged and straight-up never heard back from countless roles (probably hundreds) that I thought I would at least get a look for (small-mid sized companies' finance roles, Big 4 audit/tax, random boutiques that were barely related to finance, etc) that I see on LinkedIn that peers with substantially worse profiles overall have gotten offers from already.
To top it all off, I can't exactly put my finger on what's making me get auto-dinged from so many roles. I've evaluated every part of my background (GPA, past work experience, extracurriculars), application materials (cover letter, resume which I've had reviewed multiple times) and even my interviewing process (which is more subjective, but I've only had 2 interviews this cycle so it's not even a matter of this).
If anyone has any advice or anecdotes they feel open to sharing please do.
Hey there, I totally get where you're coming from. The recruiting process can be a real rollercoaster, and it's easy to feel down when things don't go as planned. But remember, rejection is a part of the process, and it doesn't define your worth or your future success.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Rejections happen, and the interview to offer conversion can be pretty arbitrary sometimes. It's important to adopt a "their loss" mindset and keep pushing forward. If you're sound technically and interview well, there will be a shop that'll value your qualities enough to extend an offer.
Recruiting is not linear. There are so many factors at play, and it's not always a meritocracy. Keep networking, keep prepping, and keep giving it your all when you get shots.
It's okay to feel overwhelmed and disappointed by the process. Remember, rejections before interview stages often have less to do with you, and more to do with luck. It's important not to take things too personally.
Lastly, don't compare your journey to others. Everyone has their own path and pace. Just because someone else got an offer doesn't mean you're less capable or deserving.
Remember, at the end of the day, you only need one offer. Keep working on improving your applications and don't give up. You've got this! And hey, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here.
Sources: Resilience in the face of rejection, The Ups and Downs of Recruiting, What to make of a rejection call?
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