The Power of Resilience
My post-graduation diploma in mass communication was completed and the placements had been started in my college. Companies were coming for placements ranging from big media houses to small PR firms each day.
They were taking rounds after rounds including written tests, group discussions, and interviews to select the finest and brightest ones suitable to their roles, which was making the entire process excruciating and grinding for students.
A week later, many of my friends and batchmates got placed in one or the other. I wasn’t though. I had given 8 interviews so far, but being rejected by them. They ranged from media firms to PRs. It was very disappointing and tiring. I found myself at the juncture where things seemed hard and impossible and hopelessness prevailed over me.
But the thrid and last week of the placement session brought a ray of hope for me, piercing through the dense clouds. Hush! I got a job in a digital outlet after giving several attempts including written tests, group discussions and interviews.
Fall down seven times, stand up eight — A popular proverb
4 Lessons I’ve Learnt From This Tough Experience -
1. You Get Stronger After Every Failure
At first it seems impossible and hard. You also make a lot of mistakes in the process. However, each and every mistake will give you an important lesson that can be utilised for the growth and doing better in the next effort. In fact, that’s the motto of the concept called ‘Anti-Fragility’ given by Nassim Nicolas Taleb in his book ‘Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder’.
Antifragile person doesn’t make just come back from a defeat but return more stronger and powerful. Antifragility is a property of systems in which they increase in capability to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures.
I also felt I was getting stronger and more confident after every rejection. Fear of failure got retreated to the back side of my brain. I faced them with a chivalrous heart.
2. Things You Can’t Control
You have given your best but the results aren’t in your favour. I think that’s ok than being sorry about that. The main part is you are giving your 100% at whatever task is in your hand. Nothing else matters if the result is your side or not.
At the end of the day, you can’t control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus ~ Ben Zobrist
I tried to give my best in every interview. In fact, I learned from previous mistakes to improve my presentation, presence of mind, and confidence.
3. Letting Go Fear
The more you become resilient, the more fearless you become. And things you want in life are actually on the other side of perceptible impassable mountains. Take the steps and vanquish your fears.
It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more. ~ Professor Dumbledore
In the initial rounds of the placement, I was scared about interviews. I fumbled a lot and was under-confident on how to give crisp and witty replies during Interviews. Once I was told to be less enthusiastic and unmotivated.
4. Destiny Has Plans For You
So what if you don’t get the dream job you’re always aspiring for? So what if your friends and batchmates are placed earlier than you? Each and every one of us has a different destiny trail and a pace that can’t be competed with each other.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. ~ Steve Jobs
I got the job at last, which I needed the most. I was relieved when I got the confirmation call from the digital media outlet as a trainee journalist. It wasn’t my dream job but having a job was no lesser than a dream comes true.
