I didn’t get the job.

And I want to say it out loud, because we don’t often share the “no.” And we especially don’t do it on that shiny FB self promotion site we all use to try and get work.
We share new titles, promotions, opportunities. We rarely share the rejection email that makes your heart sink after weeks of hope.

For most of my career, I’ve been good at getting jobs. I’ve built a reputation as a highly accomplished teacher and leader, and I know my field inside out. In fact, the last few roles I had in schools I was the preferred applicant from the get go. In fact, I built a small business helping teachers to get their dream jobs – that’s how good I was at it!

But stepping into academia as a new “almost a Doctor” feels like starting over. It means new rules, new benchmarks, and sometimes, new rejections.

Not getting these new, “starting out” academic jobs doesn’t mean failure.
It means:

• I was brave enough to apply.
• I learned (and practiced) how to shape my story and skills.
• I gained feedback I can use next time.
• I kept moving forward, even when the outcome wasn’t what I hoped for.

For anyone else navigating new career chapters: the “no” doesn’t erase everything you’ve achieved. It’s simply part of the path.

So today I’m choosing to name it, share it, and keep going.
Because the right “yes” will come.