Rejection. It’s not something we desire to experience, but it does happen. As someone who is attempting to work in the entertainment industry, it’s an experience I know all too well. If you do not have thick skin and cannot handle rejection, you should probably consider working in another field. Rejection might not fun, but it is something that happens and the way you handle rejection will reveal a lot about a person.
1. Don’t take it personally.
In the entertainment industry, rejection is not always personal. A lot of times, being rejected for a role or job doesn’t mean you’re not talented or cannot do the job well, but it might just mean that you weren’t the right fit for that job. Many people working in the entertainment industry have received a no from the casting director for a certain role, but that directed remembered their talent and professionalism and cast them in another role later. Make sure to take any critiques into account and continue to work hard and get better, but you can’t take every “no” personally.
2. Use it as a lesson.
What went wrong during your interview or audition? Were you fully prepared or not? What can you do better next time? Take in everything that happened, good and bad, from the time you entered the audition to the time you left. Use it as a learning experience and you will know what you should improve or do the same for your next audition or interview.
3. Stay positive.
In the entertainment industry, you will receive more answers of no than you will of yes. For every no, you have to remain positive and continue working hard. Take every “no” and use it as motivation to do better at your next audition or interview. Stay positive and it will reflect well on you as a person and as a worker.
While these tips are written from the mind of someone trying to succeed in the entertainment industry, they can be used for any rejection that might happen to someone on a day to day basis. If you remember not to take it too personally, to use it as a lesson, and to stay positive, it will help you better prepare for future rejection or success and will improve your attitude as a whole.
