Sara
Learning how to handle rejection in the entertainment world is a must-have skill. Often, casting directors are looking for a very specific look and skill set when there are roles to be filled. This means, you can be the most good-looking person in the room, have a commendable resume and a ton of experience, but if you’re not right for a particular role, you’re not right. It’s as simple as that.
So, it’s important to understand that no matter where you’re at in your journey, you’re likely to get a ‘no’ every now and again. And, there are different ways you can go about handling this. You can either burn a bridge by refusing to ever work with that person again, or you can be open to receiving feedback on why they went with someone else.
Sometimes, it’s all in how you look at things. If you put all of your eggs into one basket and tell yourself you’re either going to land this gig or you’re going to give up entirely, the pressure can be all-consuming. You’re much more likely to flop at an audition after making this unwise promise to yourself. You’ll be a ball of nerves before you ever have a chance to utter a line.
Instead, look into several opportunities of interest and decide to shoot for more than one gig.
Always have options. And, if you don’t land any of them, make a promise to yourself to keep trying rather than pursue a new path entirely.
Never take rejection personally. Chances are, you just weren’t what they were looking for – this time. This doesn’t mean another role won’t pop up that you’d be perfect for. It doesn’t mean they just don’t like you as a person. It just wasn’t the right opportunity. Ask for feedback to you have a better understanding of why you weren’t chosen.
If you are told you weren’t selected because of a particular misstep during the audition, focus on correcting what went wrong so it doesn’t happen again. Again, don’t take this feedback too much to heart. Learn from the mistake and grow through the experience.
Trust the process. Regardless of which path you choose, what your dream career is, or which area of your life you’re focusing on, you’re likely to be rejected every once in a while. Whether your bidding on a new home, hoping to enter into a new relationship, up against a colleague for a promotion, or vying for a position on a sports team, you’re putting yourself out there with the possibility of getting rejected. Keep your chin up and practice a little perseverance.