Read on Twitter
I'm going to try and make a thread about rejection and failure. Recently I've had a couple of people message me saying they "want to do stuff like me" or "how can I do the things you do?"
The truth is, it involves a lot of hard work and some failure along the way. I'm acutely aware that my social media is a highlight reel of achievements, from sending experiments to the ISS, to speaking at conferences and working on research. It's not all like that, I assure you.
I haven't spoken about it publicly, but I applied for @owensfellowship this year. I have wonderful friends who went through the programme who encouraged me to apply. I'm so grateful that they did, because putting together my application made me reflect on myself and my abilities.
I was rejected. Didn't even make the semi-finalist list. I was gutted. I cried when I read the email.
I know in applications I'm generally strongest at interviews, and I was so upset that I didn't get the chance to show the team what I was capable of.
I know in applications I'm generally strongest at interviews, and I was so upset that I didn't get the chance to show the team what I was capable of.
I knew as an international candidate it was a long shot, and I was aware of that when I applied. But for some reason that rejection felt like a gnawing pit in my stomach that I'd let down everyone who had helped me in my application...
... particularly those who took the time to write letters of recommendation for me.
In the interests of candor, I had to mute the fellowship account and related words from my feed for a few weeks while I helped myself to feel better about it all.
In the interests of candor, I had to mute the fellowship account and related words from my feed for a few weeks while I helped myself to feel better about it all.
But after some reflecting, I've made my peace with it. I know I won't be eligible for the fellowship in future years, and I'm ok with that. I know that the wonderful people who have been selected for this year's class are well deserving of their places-
I know that my rejection is not a sole reflection on me, or an enforcement that I'm "not good enough" to do what I do, it was simply that I wasn't right for the programme as it stood for this year's round of applications. There will be other opportunities that are right for me.
tl;dr: Success isn't linear, there are bumps in the road. Just because you reach one doesn't mean your journey is over, it may just be encouraging you to take a different path to reach where you're going. Don't take people's social media accounts as the whole story either!
