Coping With Job Application Rejection

In times of global distress in the marketplace it is more important than ever to stick with your guns, whatever they may be. One of the biggest fear new freelance writers have when they get started is how they should cope with rejection after applying or bidding for freelance writing jobs.

This is only normal as we embark into the unknown. It happens to all of us and I still remember my own insecurity of how to handle bids and applications. If you are currently in that position know this; every journey starts with a small step and unless you take that step, not much will happen.

This applies to anything we are trying to achieve in life. Whether it is to become a niche marketer, a writer, a pilot or something else.

Unless you apply this principle to your dream, your dream will never become a reality.

How to approach writing job bidding websites

If you really want to get going in this industry you have to take pro-active measures. I still think that job bidding websites are a great tool for new freelancers as they allow you to choose from the variety of job offers.

The hardest part about them is to break into them as a recognized service professional. The secret here is to persist.

In the process of bidding for jobs there will be many instances where you either won’t receive a reply at all, or else you fail to negotiate an acceptable rate with the potential client.

The only thing you can do to overcome this is by bidding for as many jobs as you could possibly handle if they were all to be yours. That is exactly what I did. And guess what? Jobs were gradually starting to stick.

The saying “if you throw enough mud onto a wall some of it will eventually stick” is old. But the same principles apply to your writing job hunt.

Dealing with rejection

Dealing with rejection becomes a lot easier once you have a good pool of clients. In the beginning it is hard as every no will sound like a personal failure. Unfortunately there is no other way than to go right through the middle of this if you want to come up on the other end.

Persist!

Keep sending those applications, queries and  emails. Look for more ways to find work. The biggest mistake most beginners make is to stick with the one site only. Throw in some variations and bid – bid – bid until you think there is nothing left to bid on.

Another thing you have to be vary off is that in the beginning you will be hard pressed to be appointed the best freelance writing jobs. These only come with your experience and your conviction that you are indeed a good writer.

How to avoid rejection in the first place

By far the easiest way to avoid rejection is by standing apart from the masses. It worked for me and will do so for you too. Be different, be better and most important of all, be your best at every opportunity that presents itself to you!

It is easy to spy on your competition at job bidding websites as many of them feature a contact messaging system for bidders. If they are public you can see what others bid in front of you and how they presented their business for the job.

By standing out I mean to propose an offer that is hard to resist, sprinkled with your own personality. I can guarantee you that in most cases this will work. Finding the right tone of voice however is the real challenge here. You can learn a lot by studying these websites for a minimum of one week before you become active.

Fear of rejection mustn’t be a reason to get stuck – quite the opposite; now go them ‘em.

Monika