What 100+ rejections did to me when I was looking for work after graduation

I graduated from film school in December of 2019 but I’d finished the degree in October that same year. I remember feeling excited and relieved that it was all finally over. We had spent our last semester working our asses off to produce an “industry standard” film and we were all exhausted.

In October when we were finalising our presentations and we celebrated and drank and ate, I remember thinking “Ah finally, I can look for work!” It was optimistic and perhaps naive.

I started applying for jobs the very next day. I had redone my resume with someone who had been coached by significant people working in HR. I was confident that this was going to get noticed.

I was wrong.

I applied to as many production houses I could find in Sydney. I applied to marketing departments, editing houses, major production houses, studios. I promoted my photography skills along with my video. I was pushing my versatility.

Rejected. Over and over. Every day I had emails to say I had not gotten a position. It was absolute hell. I felt like a failure. I felt like I let myself down, I let my partner down. The depression spiralled and I wanted to give up.

That would have been the easier thing to do, but I didn’t. Fortunately for me, I don’t know when to stop, so I continued my job hunt. I’ve been ghosted many many times. And not just from small places. The “bigger” guys wouldn’t acknowledge my attempts either.

It all fed into my depression and feeling inadequate. It was horrible and months of this just did a huge number on my self-confidence. I had little professional support from those who were supposed to be there to help and had promised to do so. This also completely messed with me.

I felt alone.

I applied at universities, libraries, galleries, theatres. It was all about thinking outside the box and that’s exactly how I wanted to approach it all. Unfortunately, I still wasn’t enough.

Finding a job straight after graduating is HARD work. As if studying to get the qualification wasn’t enough. You see jobs advertising for a position but then reading the description of the job you notice they want more than what they originally asked for. With entry-level pay.

Um, no. If you want an all-rounder at an entry-level, then advertise for that. Someone with 5 years of experience in the field and a degree is also not an entry-level potential employee.

It took me months until finally I was contacted by the place that I had my internship at. I was beyond grateful and still am. However, it makes me think of those not so lucky as I was. How many others are still feeling what I was going through for months and months? And what is being done about it?

Unfortunately, it seems that there is a stigma at hiring freshly graduated professionals. Maybe they think we’re lazy or incompetent. Or they would rather give the job to someone who already knows everything and won’t need training.

Or nepotism.

Either way, in order to get the experience that most companies want from us, we need a job. But we need a job to get that experience. See where I’m going with this? It’s a vicious cycle.

This is why we have many graduates who work in industries and positions that are so far away from what they studied, they lose their connection to it. Frankly, it’s sad. And it’s no fault of their own.

If you’re a recent graduate or about to graduate and you’re reading this… It’s not because you’re not good enough. Get your CV checked by professionals, send out as many emails as you can, and make are you apply using your medium. I mean, if you’re studying video, show them what you’ve got! If you’re studying design, use that incredible sense to design a resume.

Apply using your medium. It’s your power. THAT’S how you get responses. Ask for feedback on your application process when you get rejections. And I say when because, unfortunately, it’s inevitable.

When you’re ghosted, the best thing to do is follow-up and then move on. It’s easier said than done but trust me, it won’t be any good to you if you linger on waiting for a response.

It’s a tough world out there for fresh graduates. And even more so for those getting into the creative industries. Unless you have connections, your process is going to be harder than others. But it’s not a reason to give up. Remember your skills, keep practicing, and push the limits of what you’re capable of.

You may surprise yourself.

All of these pieces of advice was the most helpful and I’m forever grateful to who gave it to me. So, thank you.