Ready to dive into the wild world of “Fail Forward Friday”? This week, I’m spilling the beans on my epic journey through job rejection land—where I got turned down not once, not twice, but a whopping four times for the same job! You’d think after acing all the tests, I’d be the golden child, but nope! Turns out, sometimes the universe has a funny way of preparing us for the big moments, and I finally cracked the code on the fifth try. Join me as I dish out some juicy lessons on resilience, turning rejection into motivation, and how clarity can catapult you towards your goals faster than you can say “job interview”! So grab your cuppa, and let’s get this party started!

The Details:

What happens when you know exactly what you're meant to do, but the world seems determined to tell you otherwise?

In this powerful Fail Forward Friday episode, Heather shares her raw journey through four job rejections in 1980's Britain—a time when unemployment was so high that career training included lessons on applying for social security.

With burning determination to become a computer programmer despite lacking university qualifications, she applied for the same IT role four times, getting rejected each time despite having the highest test scores.

This isn't just a story about persistence—it's about the difference between knowing your path and hoping for it, and how sometimes what looks like failure is just the universe preparing you for perfect timing.

What's Inside:

• Heather's emotional journey from an 18-year-old temp clerk to trainee programmer in 1980's northeast England
• The brutal reality of economic hardship and limited opportunities that shaped her generation
• A detailed breakdown of each rejection: from initial disappointment to colleagues' sarcasm to genuine anger
• The shocking revelation that she'd scored highest on every test but was somehow "overlooked" for four attempts
• How she used each setback as information: getting coding certificates, sharpening logic skills, building resilience
• Three transformational lessons about clarity, using rejection as education, and trusting perfect timing
• The moment everything changed when a new HR team asked the right question

The Uncomfortable Truth:

Sometimes the system is broken, but your vision isn't. When you absolutely know what you're meant to do, rejection becomes information rather than identity—data about what needs to change, not proof that you're not enough.

Key Takeaways:

• Absolute clarity about your path creates unstoppable momentum—when you know (not hope) you're meant for something, setbacks become stepping stones
• Use rejection as information, not identity—each "no" can educate you about what to improve or what's wrong with the system
• Perfect timing includes the preparation period—those delays aren't punishment, they're the universe building exactly the qualities you'll need for success
• If you're excelling but not getting opportunities, that's information about their system, not your potential

Chapters:

• 00:08 - Facing Rejection: A Personal Story
• 02:02 - Overcoming Rejection on the Path to IT
• 03:52 - The Turning Point: Discovering My True Potential
• 04:46 - Lessons from Rejection
• 06:25 - Taking Action Towards Your Calling

This Week's Persistence Practice:

Identify something you absolutely know you're meant to do—that calling that won't leave you alone despite obstacles. Take one specific action this week: send one application, make one phone call, research one company, or enroll in one course. Remember: your breakthrough might be just one application away.

Perfect For:

• Anyone facing repeated rejection while pursuing their calling
• Career changers who feel like they're "punching above their weight"
• People dealing with systemic barriers or broken hiring processes
• Those who need permission to trust their inner knowing despite external validation
• Anyone questioning whether persistence really pays off

Connect & Share:

• Share your own "five rejections" story or current persistence journey with us @ChoosingHappyPodcast or [email protected]
• Tag someone who's facing repeated setbacks but shouldn't give up on their calling
• Leave a review sharing how this episode inspired your next step forward
• Visit www.choosinghappypodcast.com for more stories of failing forward to success
• Subscribe for weekly episodes that prove setbacks are setups for comebacks

Remember: Sometimes what looks like a closed door is just the universe making sure you're ready for what's on the other side. The timing is always perfect, even when it doesn't feel like it.

How You Can Support This Independent Podcast:

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Want to dive deeper? Drop me an email: [email protected]

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