Just hit 40 rejections for a promotion I really wanted

I've been a dental hygienist for eight years and applied for a lead role at my clinic in Portland. The manager told me yesterday they went with someone else, which makes it the 40th time I've been passed over for a bigger job. How do you keep your confidence up when you keep hitting a wall like this?

4 comments

4 Comments

sandra_bennett592mo ago

Sometimes the right door just takes way longer to kick down.

the_elliot2mo ago

Sounds a bit dramatic, Sandra.

iris9272mo ago

Know exactly what you mean. Tried to learn guitar for years, just sounded awful. Then one day my fingers finally remembered the chords without thinking. Wasn't about kicking harder, just showing up over and over until it clicked. Some things just have their own slow timetable.

piper_kim1mo ago

Yeah that's brutal, 40 is a lot to take. Kinda like what iris927 said about guitar, maybe it's not about trying harder but just being ready for when the timing finally works. Could be they keep picking people who already have lead experience, so maybe you need to find a way to get that on your resume first, even if it's just helping train new hires where you are now. It's gotta feel personal but it probably isn't, it's just a really tough spot to get.