I had a bit of a bizarre experience this week. I jokingly tweeted about being rejected from my dream job (a âNew Music Writerâ role at NME), and the tweet quickly went viral. I ended up muting the tweet altogether after it got a few thousand RTs as the constant buzzing of my mobile phone started to drive me slightly mad.
Iâm not sure what exactly it was about the tweet that resonated â whether it was the humour element (with the quote tweet format riffing on my optimism the month prior when I applied for the role); whether it was the fact that I was being honest about being rejected on a timeline thatâs more typically full of đ¨ exciting personal newsđ¨ ; or if it was simply that everyone else is applying for and getting rejected from jobs at the moment, so it simply spoke to a collective mood.
I got a few messages off the back of the tweet thanking me for being honest about my experience, and I had to admit to these people that while I was glad the tweet had brought them some solace, it wasnât my intention when I jokingly fired the tweet off at 1.22pm â in part to âupdateâ my followers about how the âdream jobâ application had gone, and in part to relieve some of the disappointment I was feeling. I was embarrassed, having spoken about the dream job application at a journalism panel event the same day Iâd sent the application off â buoyed by confidence and optimism that at the very least, Iâd get an interview and a chance to show how passionate I am about new music.
I wonât lie to you, I was a little gutted that I didnât get so much as an interview for the role. As far as applications go, I was pretty confident that I would get an interview, or at least the chance to take part in a screening writing exercise. Instead, I got a blanket rejection email. Some people replied to the original tweet saying âat least you got a replyâ â and thatâs true. At least I know, definitively, that for whatever reason, this opportunity wasnât the one for me.
My boyfriend hates it when I use the expression âeverything happens for a reasonâ, and so Iâm sorry for making him read it here⌠but at the same time, itâs an expression that gets wheeled out often when someone gets disappointing news, and for good reason. Lots of the replies to the tweet were from people who ended up landing their dream job and hating it. The intention behind these tweets was obviously reassurance: they were stressing that not every âdream jobâ actually lives up to your expectations, and furthermore, lots of people who missed out on a âdreamâ opportunity later optimistically shared that theyâd ended up with much better (and higher paying) roles at a later point. I appreciate every single person who took the time to favourite, reply or privately message to express their disappointment on my behalf, or offer consolation. I really do. But thatâs not what I want to talk about today.
I want to talk about the importance of wallowing when you get rejected. Because itâs totally OK to have an existential crisis in the wake of being rejected from your dream job. Itâs totally OK to ask yourself âWhy the hell have I spent the past 6 years running a website voluntarily, editing the siteâs music section in my evenings and weekends, if I canât even land an interview at a dream publication?â. Itâs totally OK to curl up in a ball under your duvet and have a little cry. Itâs totally OK to sigh as you login to the job that you now wonât be able to quit, knowing that it doesnât fill you with quite the same level of excitement that that dream position wouldâve. Itâs totally OK to scroll through Twitter and think to yourself âI wonder if they applied to the role and got an interviewâ. Itâs totally OK to feel inadequate, jealous, and bitter. Itâs totally OK to snap at your parents when they ask you why you think you didnât get it.
Wallowing is a personal thing â you can take as long as you need to feel OK again. For some people, the initial disappointment will fade in a matter of hours. For others, it might take them days or weeks to recover some of their motivation. The point is, that rejection fucking sucks. Especially when it is something you were really excited about, or thought that you had a solid chance of landing. Itâs OK to give yourself time to grieve the missed opportunity. But when youâre done wallowing, wade through those replies in the tweet thread above and realise that sometimes, things really do happen for a reasonâŚ
My weekÂ
⌠in editing
I edited a few album reviews this week; Michael Priceâs take on Teenage Fanclubâs Endless Arcade; Matthew Prudhamâs verdict on Typhoons by Royal Blood; and Josh Stedmanâs review of Flu Game by West London rapper AJ Tracey. I edited Brenna Cooperâs interview with folk songwriter Chloe Foy and I also edited a few track reviews: Jen Roseâs piece on Matilda Mannâs âDoomsdayâ' and Miriam Viscusiâs piece on âDizzyâ by Birthday Girl.
⌠in writing
Pitches:Â 0
Commissions:Â 0
Articles written:Â 0
Articles published:Â 0
Motivation was at a big fat 0 this week (see the aforementioned wallowing). However, Iâve got an exciting piece coming out next week that Iâm looking forward to sharing with you all in next weekâs newsletter.
⌠in listening/watching Â
I listened to the latest episode of Indiependent Thinking which is dropping today â itâs a great episode, make sure you give it a follow on Spotify.
I also watched Palm Springs, starring all-time fave Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti⌠it was weird. But good. But also super weird.
⌠in readingÂ
I was in a funk this week with writing, but I read a lot more than I have in recent weeks. Sitting down with a physical book has always been enormously comforting to me, so itâs no surprise I devoured two books while feeling a bit sorry for myself.
I read the important and timely In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder by Jane Monckton-Smith. I saw it came out in March on Twitter and thought it makes for vital reading in the wake of the conversations about female safety that arose from the tragic murder of Sarah Everard.
I also read Blackout: Remembering the things I drank to forget by Sarah Hepola â which was an incredibly moving book about one womanâs relationship with alcohol that Iâd recommend to anyone who has ever questioned their own alcohol consumption and/or enjoyed reading Terri Whiteâs memoir, Coming Undone
Somewhat related to the above is Alex Holderâs hilarious Refinery29 piece âThe true cost of a hangover⌠in money & dignityâ
There was some phenomenal reporting on The Guardian this week, detailing the allegations being made against Noel Clarke. See Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborneâs piece: ââSexual predatorâ: actor Noel Clarke accused of groping, harassment and bullying by 20 womenâ and the damning follow-up âHow Bafta spent two weeks grappling with Noel Clarke dilemmaâ
Sofia Ferrerira Santosâ JournoResources article âWriters of colour deserve to be paid for more than just their takes on racial traumaâ was so so important
I liked Zoya Raza-Sheikhâs take on the new girl in red album if I could make it go quiet, for The Forty-Five â which I reviewed myself for the latest issue of The Indiependent magazine (order your copy here)
Kate Mossmanâs profile of Tom Jones for New Statesman was brilliant
I liked Shauna Lewisâ Prospect piece on âThe northern literary rebellionâ
The ever-brilliant Amelia Tait had a brilliant piece in VICE this week: âYou canât fix online troll culture until you fix reality TVâ
Loved this Gigwise piece on overrated classic rock albums, although I definitely didnât agree â but then I suppose that was the point!
Events
Weâve sold out our Indiependent Journey-lism event on freelance features writing with Amelia Tait on 5 May at 6.30pm. Sheâs one of my favourite writers and so Iâm super excited to be speaking to her this week!
Other upcoming events:
Indiependent Journey-lism: senior commissioning editor, Victoria Richards - 13 May at 6.30pm - this will be a great event for anyone looking to learn more about what commissioning editors are looking for from freelancers
Opportunities
Anywhere: Reach PLC is looking for an editorial newsletter lead to work from home
Birmingham: Macc Care is looking for a part-time multimedia journalist
Cardiff: Pageant Media have a reporter role and are open to applications from early career stage journalists
Chelmsford: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy content editor (South East)
Edinburgh: JPI Media has their ear to the ground for a podcast producer
Edinburgh: JPI Media is also looking for a search and trends writer
Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh is looking for an engagement and communications officer
Glasgow: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy content editor
Glasgow: Peebles Media Group is looking for a staff writer to produce B2B content
Gloucestershire: The University of Gloucestershire is looking for a media and PR officer
Lancaster: Lancaster University is looking for a communications coordinator
Leeds: The Bridge is looking for a paid social media manager
Lincoln: Reach PLC is looking for a reporter for LincolnshireLive
Liverpool (remote): KVH Industries is looking for an editor to cover daily political issues, sports news and financial reviews for a maritime and hotel customer base
Liverpool: ProPrivacy is looking for a senior technology staff writer
Manchester: GoProposal is looking for a B2B copywriter to join their team
Manchester: Reach PLC is looking for a commercial audience editor and a commercial audience writer to work on Manchester Evening News
Manchester: Reach PLC is also looking for a trainee Manchester Life and SEO writer for Manchester Evening News
Manchester: Reach PLC is looking for a community reporter for Manchester Evening News
Nottingham: Blue Skies is looking for a copywriter
Nottingham: Notts TV is on the lookout for a local democracy reporter
Nottingham: Creative Recruitment is looking for an e-learning copywriter
Ormskirk: The West Lancashire Borough Council is looking for a digital and social media editor
Salford: The BBC is looking for a content producer to work as part of the Childrenâs Games team
Salford: The BBC is looking for a producer to work on BBC Bitesize
Stratford-Upon-Avon: Sew Me Something (great name) is on the lookout for a creative content producer
South Tyneside: South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is in need of a communications officer
Wirral: The Bifold Warehouse is looking for a senior media marketing assistant
PS) As ever, itâs always nice to hear from you â tweet me on @BettyKirkers or @DistrictPeaked and let me know what you thought of this weekâs issue!
Beautifully personal and packed with Kirkbride humour but also very important and timely. Weâve all been rejected from our dream job and your experience had me reflecting on my own moments of wallowing. However, right now many people are being rejected from âeveryâ job and I hope that reading this will make them feel less alone and less unworthy. I also hope some employers will read this and realise that replying is the least they can do but to realise that feedback for an individual can sometimes be life changing.
As ever, Beth a great read!