Chapter 3: Dealing withREJECTION

Rejection is woven into the fabric of PR and communications work life. Whether you’re pitching ideas, persuading stakeholders, or competing for attention, hearing “no” or being ghosted is all too common. When faced with rejection it’s easy to spiral into self-doubt or blame. But what if you could transform it into a stepping stone for resilience and growth?

Getting rejected and feeling “needy” is commonplace

For many Nordic PR professionals, rejection is frequent: one quarter (25%) experience some kind of rejection or ghosting weekly, from people both within and beyond their organization. Further, half say they often feel like they’re “needy” or submissive in the power dynamics of their professional role.

29%get rejected when pitching to journalists on a weekly basis
27%get rejected when proposing a project to a client on a weekly basis
26%get ideas or reflections shut down in internal meetings on a weekly basis
50%often feel like they’re “needy” or submissive in their professional role

The dual impact: self-doubt vs self-growth

Rejection is a double-edged sword. While over half of Nordic PR and communications professionals say it negatively impacts their wellbeing and three in ten admit to blaming or doubting themselves when getting rejected or ghosted – a majority also see it as a powerful teacher. Two-thirds agree that dealing with rejection at work makes them more resilient and better equipped to deal with it in their private life.

51%say rejection and ghosting have a large negative impact on their mental wellbeing at work
41%normally react by blaming themselves for not performing well enough or doubting their competence when being rejected
67%agree that dealing with rejection makes you more resilient
61%agree that dealing with rejection at work has made them better at dealing with it in their private life

NEXT GEN PRO PERSPECTIVEStriking the balance between devotion and detachment

PR students recognize the risks of a profession with such high emotional investment required in terms of passion, pride and devotion. However, some are already thinking ahead, developing strategies to shield their self-worth from the inevitable critiques and rejections. By viewing these challenges as opportunities to grow, they’re learning to strike a balance between personal and professional identity. Also, having some experience – not only in work life, but life in general – is seen as valuable to being able to separate your self-worth from what you produce at work.

  • Maja Szokolay
    PR student
    “To survive in this industry, I believe you have to let go of any attachment to prestige in your work and avoid taking negative feedback or rejection personally. Rather, see it as a way to improve your work.
  • “I believe life experience and overcoming adversity are key to being a successful PR professional. Five years ago, I don't think I would have thrived in PR, but my time in the music industry toughened me up and taught me to handle challenges differently.
    Sabina Johansson
    PR student

THE EXPERT’S ADVICEHow to build rejection resilience

Does rejection lead you to a self-blaming and/or self-doubting mindset? Then this three stage rocket list of advice from emotional intelligence expert Sylvia Baffour is for you.

“By inviting condescending voices into your head, you become more tolerant to criticism or rejection.

Arm yourself for critique: Before a big pitch or meeting, use the ‘two-by-two rule of inclusion’: Identify two reasons someone might agree with you and two reasons they might disagree. By inviting condescending voices into your head, you become more tolerant to criticism and rejection once it happens.

Replace barricading questions with gateway questions: Swap out self-defeating ‘barricading questions’ like “Why is this happening to me?” with ‘gateway questions’ like “What’s one thing I can improve?”. These solution-oriented questions propel you forward instead of holding you back.

Consult your brag file: Keep a collection of positive feedback, wins and accomplishments in your inbox or at your desktop. Just as with dealing with impostor syndrome, this file reminds you of your worth and expertise when rejection shakes your confidence.

Key takeaways: Dealing with
Rejection

  • Getting rejected and feeling needy comes with the job

    Around a fourth of professionals experience different kinds of rejection on a weekly basis, and half of them say they often feel “needy” in their professional role.

  • Rejection – a double-edged sword

    While half say rejection has a large negative impact on their mental wellbeing and many say getting rejected makes them self-blame or self-doubt, a majority also believe rejection makes you more resilient, and that dealing with rejection at work has made them better at handling rejection in private life.

  • How to deal with it:

    Emotional intelligence expert Sylvia Baffour’s advice to better manage rejection includes preparing for critique, reframing negative self-talk, and leaning on past successes for confidence.