At the beginning of this semester, I applied to a leadership
position in an organization. I worked on my resume, answered questions, and
interviewed over zoom. A couple of days, I received the email that they
appreciated me wanting to be more involved in the organization but that they
could not give me the position. I was honestly devastated because I wanted to
be more involved than I already was.
So from the failure, I realized that I could be more
prepared when it comes to interviewing and make my resume more visually
appealing. Before this experience, I have never really interviewed much before,
so how to be carrying yourself and answering questions was pretty new to me. Now,
I look up and become familiar with the organization that I am applying too
before each interview. I write down potential questions that the interviewers
may ask and write how I would like to respond. This ensures that I can think on
my feet, and I say what I mean. Lastly, I always write down at least three
questions that I want to ask. Doing all this preparation makes me feel more
confident going into an interview.
On an individual
level, I can be tough on myself, so I did not have a good relationship with
failure. When I didn’t get the position I wanted or the grade I wanted, I
always thought that maybe I was just not good enough. I want to avoid failure
at all costs and succeed, but those expectations are unrealistic. For example,
during my first semester as a college Freshman, I failed the first exam I ever
took. I saw that grade and thought to myself that I was not college
material. What this class and college,
in general, have taught me is that it is okay to fail; it is excellent to fail
at something. Failure in itself isn’t the end. It is a moment for growth and
learning. Failure can be motivational and push you to try even harder than
before. When I failed the exam, I completely changed my study habits and went
to the professors for advice. I ended the class with an A. A life without
failure means that we stay stagnant and don’t grow, which in the end is boring.
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI like your take on failure. You understand the areas you can work on next time when applying for a leadership position. I really need to build up my resume and practice my interview skills. Failure can definitely be motivating and you should never let it get you down because you can always learn from your mistakes and do better the next time around.
Hey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI actually did the same exact thing in the middle of this semester. I applied for a job at one of the on campus organizations at UF and made it to the second round of recruitment. I felt incredibly uncomfortable and unprepared for the virtual interview. I had practiced interviewing before, however I had never practiced it in that particular setting. I ended up not getting the job and was too devastated. I now learned from it and practice it on the laptop camera, just looking at myself while I practice responding to questions that they are likely to ask.
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteYou have some great thoughts on what failure can do for us. After your first test you did poorly on, you had choices on what to do next. The failure is like a crossroads. You can choose different paths at that point. The right path may look uphill and treacherous and the wrong path looks easy and downhill.