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It's nice to be able to share good news: I will be a @royalsociety URF with @SussexUni from Nov! 
But I know many people will also be struggling with rejection
I've been there too, so I wanted to also share my "CV of failures"
to help normalise these experiences...
https://twitter.com/royalsociety/status/1293539992963289088
But I know many people will also be struggling with rejection
I've been there too, so I wanted to also share my "CV of failures"
to help normalise these experiences... https://twitter.com/royalsociety/status/1293539992963289088
This success comes after 3 rejections from similar fellowship applications:
1x Royal Society University Research Fellowship
2x STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship
(Each of these previous rejections was really hard to take!)
1x Royal Society University Research Fellowship
2x STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship
(Each of these previous rejections was really hard to take!)
In the last 2 years I have also applied for 3 other more senior positions and have only gotten to interview once and didn't get any of the jobs:
2x Lectureships at UK universities
1x CERN Staff (LD)
(All also very hard to take!)
2x Lectureships at UK universities
1x CERN Staff (LD)
(All also very hard to take!)
Most people are unaware that as my current contract ends in October I was very close to leaving the field...
So close that I've been applying for jobs outside academia.
This is a significant extra load for day-to-day work and mental wellbeing.
So close that I've been applying for jobs outside academia.
This is a significant extra load for day-to-day work and mental wellbeing.
I don't have any magic advice when it comes to dealing with rejections. It's just really tough mentally and is physically draining. My (very limited) advice would be:
- 1/3) Try not to take it too personally. I can't claim to have been very good at this... But it's important to remember that everyone gets a rejection at some point!
- 2/3) If you are lucky enough to get good feedback try to take it on board. In my case, my successful attempt came after a significant change of direction for my previously rejected proposal - but I know this is very hard and sometimes not possible.
- 3/3) Talk to people! Getting input from several different levels and directions, both from your niche and the wider field is really important to understand these proposals from a wider (reviewer's) perspective.
And as an endnote: I am well aware that despite the difficulties I've had, as a cis white male I've had it easy in the grand scheme of things...
