Turning Rejection into April Fools

April Fools Day is a beloved holiday for content creators across the world. As an Assistant Director of Marketing, it thrills my heart to see brands such as Burger King and Starbucks take the day to do something silly to mark the occasion. While it would thrill me to no end to write something silly and without purpose in this blog, this is about education. SO PREPARE TO BE EDUCATED.

I have been at Boston College for five years and it surprises people to learn that I actually wasn’t selected to work here originally. Yes, after rounds of interviews and a day on campus, my future manager actually picked another qualified, talented person to work in my future role. So, how did I turn my denial into an April Fools? Come with me, back in time to the year 2019 and I’ll tell you about it.

• I was really nice to EVERYONE

When you are going to a job interview, your interview doesn’t begin with the first question. Your job interview starts the minute you interact with someone from the organization. That could be a parking attendant, emailing with an administrative assistant to arrange the interview, meeting someone in an elevator, or (to take it to the extreme) in traffic on the way to the interview. The point being, you aren’t just there to impress your interviewer, you are there to show how you interact with the entire team. When I interviewed for my job at Boston College, I treated everyone with respect and a smile. The number one comment from the team that interviewed me was “he seems like he would be a great member of this team.” Which brings me to my next point.

• Be open to feedback

When I received notice that I didn’t get the job with Boston College, I was also given the opportunity to hear feedback from the hiring manager about how my interview process went. I immediately said yes. Why? First, I wanted to work at Boston College, so any information I had would only have improved my chances of getting the next job that came available. Second, it gave me another opportunity to showcase myself and have another positive interaction with a member of the team. I was gracious for the opportunity, appreciative of the feedback, and again reiterated why I originally wanted the job.

• Send a Thank You Note

I had the privilege of working for a brilliant VP of Marketing when I first got out of college. She told me (and I quote) “Scott, no one has to do ANYTHING for you. If someone does something for you, you thank them and let them know how much you appreciate it.” She told me that 11 years ago and I still think about it to this day. Thanking people for their time might seem trivial, but you are once again giving yourself another opportunity to showcase what a tremendous, thoughtful person you are. Personalize them to your experience on the day. EXTRA TIP: You can schedule emails! Write your thank you while the experience is still fresh and schedule it to send the next day!!!

After interviewing and being turned down for the position in December, I received my “April Fools” and was offered my role in February of 2019. I don’t know who turned down the opportunity, but I am eternally grateful that I got to take the job in their place. However, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity if I wasn’t gracious in defeat and used it as an opportunity.