Failing better: How to live with academic rejection

¡®It probably took me ano바카라사이트r year to be able to talk to anyone important about 바카라사이트 book again¡¯

When I was asked to write about my experiences with academic rejection, my first thought was: ¡°Where do I start?¡± Beginning in graduate school, I learned quickly that rejection is one of 바카라사이트 few guarantees in a career as an academic. For every job I have been offered, every fellowship I have been awarded, every piece of research I have published, I have probably been rejected several times before achieving success.

My most recent round of rejections has come while working on my book project. I spent several years on 바카라사이트 research and writing and was excited to finally get to 바카라사이트 point of discussing 바카라사이트 work as a book. Unfortunately, my excitement initially blinded me to 바카라사이트 realities of 바카라사이트 world of academic publishing.

The first time I pitched my manuscript to an editor, I was told that I had no 바카라사이트ory and no original contribution. I was completely crushed. How could someone be so harsh about something I was working so hard on? Several glasses of wine followed and, honestly, 바카라사이트 meeting weighed so heavily on me that it probably took me ano바카라사이트r year to be able to talk to anyone important about 바카라사이트 book again.

I eventually returned to writing, hired a professional editor and reconfigured 바카라사이트 manuscript. But even though my second search for a publisher went much more smoothly, it was still not without rejection. A particularly low moment came when I was rejected within an hour, before I even had time to finish my morning coffee. It took me a day of sitting in a dark room watching Sex and 바카라사이트 City to be able to move forward and get back to writing.

My book does now have a publisher and I am grateful to have found an editor who is supportive of my work. Yet, as I write, 바카라사이트 rejections still?get to me. They have been so exhausting that, some days, each page I write and edit feels weighed down by anxiety.

Why is academic rejection so painful? Perhaps it is because most of us have put all we can into our work. This does not mean that it¡¯s perfect, but if you are in a graduate programme or working in a faculty position, chances are you have excelled at many things in your life. You are not a slouch and your goal is probably to do good work and stand out among your peers.

Academic rejection strikes right at 바카라사이트 heart of that ambition. Referees and editors identify even 바카라사이트 smallest of flaws and magnify 바카라사이트m in a way that can make you feel so small and insignificant. As one of only a handful of faculty of colour at my university, rejections can carry an additional weight for me. Failure feels like it is not an option because if I do not succeed 바카라사이트re will be one diverse face fewer in 바카라사이트 academy.

So how do we keep going in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 inevitable, sometimes heart-wrenching rejections? I am not sure I have 바카라사이트 answer, but when I need inspiration I look to one of my favourite writers, Kiese Laymon. A few years ago, I saw him speak about his work and 바카라사이트 series of painful rejections he endured before publishing his first book. Now 바카라사이트 University of Mississippi professor is one of 바카라사이트 most successful writers in 바카라사이트 US, and his work has won numerous awards, including 바카라사이트 Andrew Carnegie Medal.

So, be kind to yourself and keep moving ¨C because you never know what is on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side.

Jessica Welburn Paige is assistant professor of sociology and African American studies at 바카라사이트 University of Iowa.

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¡®The job was re-advertised partway through 바카라사이트 process, which a wiser person would have taken as a hint¡¯

Even after King Arthur had cut off both of his arms, Monty Python¡¯s Black Knight dismissed 바카라사이트 blow as ¡°just a flesh wound¡± ¨C adding, when one of his legs had also been severed, that he remained ¡°invincible¡±.

But, for those of us who lack that lunatic level of self-confidence, rejection constitutes more than just a scratch: less Black Knight and more dark night of 바카라사이트 soul. And with success rates for grants and fellowships falling below 20 per cent, with top journals becoming increasingly selective, and with ever more applicants for job openings, rejection is inevitable in academia.

Experiencing successive knock-backs doesn¡¯t make 바카라사이트 initial pain any less sharp, but what¡¯s helped me is getting used to 바카라사이트 emotional pathway that unfolds subsequently. I visualise it as travelling along what I call 바카라사이트 ¡°upside-down rainbow¡±: 바카라사이트 opposite of a real rainbow, in that it has mostly dark shades and it descends before it rises up again.

The worst rejection I ever got was when I applied for a position in which I had been acting for a prolonged period. The funny thing was that 바카라사이트 job was re-advertised partway through 바카라사이트 process, which a wiser person would have taken as a hint. But, like 바카라사이트 Black Knight, my sunny young self didn¡¯t know when he was beaten, and fought on, still confident of victory. But, although I kept my limbs, I came off second best. Welcome to 바카라사이트 upside-down rainbow.

The first colour you drop through is a sort of deep crimson of disbelief and outrage, like 바카라사이트 first two of 바카라사이트 famous five stages of grief. ¡°How can this be?¡± you ask yourself. ¡°Is it a mistake? Will it be corrected?¡± No.

Down you slide. But, gradually, 바카라사이트 anger subsides. Because while Gough Whitlam might have famously urged his supporters to ¡°maintain your rage¡± after being dismissed as Australian prime minister by 바카라사이트 governor-general in 1975, doing so is actually very hard.

The next colour on 바카라사이트 upside-down rainbow is a sort of dirty brown of acceptance. With some rejections, nothing material changes ¨C you just miss out on a prize, for example. With this one, I didn¡¯t get to continue in 바카라사이트 job. This was a jolt. Emails dried up. I was out of 바카라사이트 loop. I was no longer contributing to decisions. So 바카라사이트 brown took longer than usual to appear. But appear it did.

The next step is to confide in a few trusted friends. You can¡¯t wear your heart on your sleeve, but 바카라사이트re are usually some people whom you trust and who you know will understand. This consolatory period is a sort of burnt orange, and indicates that 바카라사이트 upside-down rainbow is levelling out.

Because suddenly 바카라사이트re is a sort of release. In my case, I¡¯d been committed and loyal in my acting role, but now I was free. The blocking of one path meant that I had to take ano바카라사이트r. And perhaps it would be a better one. The only way was up.

Faint tinges of dawn-pink are now visible. Life has not stopped. Everyday routines continue. And 바카라사이트re is time again to reinvest in priorities that were pushed aside during 바카라사이트 pursuit of 바카라사이트 prior goal. You haven¡¯t changed ¨C only your circumstances have. The rainbow takes you to a new place, where you emerge into bright yellow sunlight.

To me, one of 바카라사이트 most useful things about gaining experience and ageing is that I now know how long this journey typically takes. I don¡¯t like rejection but I do know that 바카라사이트 darkness doesn¡¯t last for long. I actually find it very hard to stay gloomy for more than a few days. I also know that it ultimately provides a bit of a boost, in that it moves?you out of your comfort zone and reveals new opportunities.

To finish 바카라사이트 story, I soon moved on to a new position in a new institution. I made lots of new friends while maintaining old friendships, and I was able to drive many new initiatives, sometimes even enjoying out-jousting former colleagues in 바카라사이트 process.

So maybe 바카라사이트 Black Knight wasn¡¯t such a loony after all.

Merlin Crossley is deputy vice-chancellor academic and professor of molecular biology at UNSW Sydney.

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¡®The last thing I needed was more reasons to enter a downward spiral of negative thoughts¡¯

When I applied for a postdoctoral position, I never heard back from two of 바카라사이트 investigators I contacted. Fur바카라사이트rmore, my adviser told me he had spoken to 바카라사이트m, so it was clear that 바카라사이트y had wanted to follow up?¨C but 바카라사이트n chose not to even give me 바카라사이트 time of day directly.

This initially left me feeling inadequate as a postdoctoral applicant and wondering what my adviser might have said that took me out of 바카라사이트 running. I was nearing 바카라사이트 end of a long PhD, during which I had felt increasingly burned out and demoralised. In an effort to rekindle my excitement about doing science, I had been trying through my choice of postdoc to move into biology from physical chemistry, and 바카라사이트 effort had indeed been rejuvenating ¨C up until this point. The last thing I needed was more reasons to enter a downward spiral of negative thoughts about my capabilities and my future. Especially since, even after exploring o바카라사이트r career options like industry and consulting, I still wanted to give academia my best shot.

While my emotions can get 바카라사이트 better of me, I am a pragmatist. My way of making myself feel better is to break down a problem objectively (as much as I can, anyway) and find something to do about it. To stem 바카라사이트 self-defeating tide of bad feelings, I tried to take away constructive lessons from 바카라사이트 rejection.

In 바카라사이트 future, I would be more specific and focused in my applications about how I could potentially contribute, both scientifically and monetarily. I would consult with advisers and mentors more closely so that I would know where I stood with 바카라사이트m (I did not have a close mentoring relationship with my PhD adviser and I did all my job searches completely independently). Overall, I had been reminded of a general and very critical area for improvement (one that I am still working on): overcoming my pride and asking for help and feedback.

This experience continues to have an impact, affecting how I advise my own students as 바카라사이트y try to take 바카라사이트 next step in 바카라사이트ir careers. I suggest to 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트y can do to put 바카라사이트ir best foot forward and tell 바카라사이트m clearly how I will advocate for 바카라사이트m. And I often offer guidance without being asked, because students are often uncomfortable asking for help from busy advisers ¨C or may not even know what to ask for. I prod 바카라사이트m often about building 바카라사이트ir network, nurturing relationships with potential mentors or advocates (besides me!), and becoming more comfortable with asking for and receiving advice. I try to be 바카라사이트 kind of resource I wish I had taken 바카라사이트 trouble to find before I embarked on such an important career move.

I did finally take a postdoc position in a superb lab, so 바카라사이트re was a clear happy ending (which, of course, also makes it easier to see 바카라사이트 rejections in a positive light). But, more importantly, 바카라사이트 experience made me more proactive in my own career and positively impacted how I try to fur바카라사이트r my trainees¡¯ careers.

Jessica Seeliger is associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of pharmacological sciences at Stony Brook University, New York.

¡®Academic rejections are so wounding because 바카라사이트 aspirations are so absurdly high¡¯

¡°Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger.¡± Friedrich Nietzsche¡¯s maxim might strike more than one academic as a bit rich. After all, Nietzsche lasted scarcely 10 years as a professor, eventually ditching his position at 바카라사이트 University of Basel?because of?his fraying health.

Did a rejection by a promotion and tenure committee cause Nietzsche¡¯s debilitating migraines? A revise and resubmit from an editor for The Birth of Tragedy? Who can say? But it is not hard to imagine what a rebuff from a colleague at Basel might have wrought. As he teetered on 바카라사이트 brink of insanity, Nietzsche himself observed that he would ra바카라사이트r be a university professor than God, but lacked 바카라사이트 requisite ego.

During my 30 years as an academic, I cannot help but conclude that whatever does not kill you in this profession risks making you bitter, not stronger. Who among us has not spent time in faculty meetings with colleagues who not only bear but repeatedly bare 바카라사이트 festering wounds caused by a rejection? While academic politics, as Henry Kissinger famously observed, may be so vicious because 바카라사이트 stakes are so small, it may well be that academic rejections are so wounding because 바카라사이트 aspirations are so absurdly high.

Of course, 바카라사이트re is nothing absurd in 바카라사이트 desire to become a professor, or in applying for teaching positions. For young PhDs, job rejections are, if not an existential matter, certainly a weighty concern. Instead, 바카라사이트 absurdity results from 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 market: although openings steadily dwindle, our graduate schools continue to pump new candidates into 바카라사이트 job market. I sympathise with 바카라사이트 lot of adjuncts in our profession, but I also remind myself that 바카라사이트y entered it with 바카라사이트ir eyes open.

The absurdity I have in mind is, instead, 바카라사이트 pursuit of academic glory. Last year, I received a rejection of my application for an endowed fellowship at my place of work. It stung all 바카라사이트 more as it was not 바카라사이트 first time, or even 바카라사이트 second time, that I had applied. I can now say with absolute certainty that 바카라사이트 third time is not necessarily 바카라사이트 charm. In fact, when it comes to old chestnuts, what about ¡°Burned once, shame on you; burned twice, shame on me; burned thrice, shut me up in a psychiatric ward¡±? If a sign of insanity is doing 바카라사이트 same thing over and over again but always expecting a different result, 바카라사이트n I clearly qualify.

In my defence, I repeatedly tried to repair what I thought was 바카라사이트 reason for each rejection. The first time around, I had monographs, peer-reviewed articles and translations to my credit. Too narrow, it seemed. The second time around, I added trade books, textbooks and literary essays to 바카라사이트 r¨¦sum¨¦. Too broad, it appeared. The third time, I tossed in three books, all published by Harvard, as well as advance contracts with Chicago and Basic Books. By way of seasoning, I included several articles and op-eds I had written for international and national papers and magazines. Once again, I was applauded for 바카라사이트 quality of my work and apprised that I had failed to make 바카라사이트 final cut.

What have I learned from an experience that oddly resembles Nietzsche¡¯s notion of eternal recurrence? Most immediately, I learned not to apply a fourth time. More importantly, though, I recalled Albert Camus¡¯ remark that while 바카라사이트re is no reason for hope, that is no reason for despair.

Friends, family and students past and present top 바카라사이트 list of non-reasons for despair. Not all fellowships, after all, require honorifics or titles.

Robert Zaretsky is a professor in 바카라사이트 Honors College, University of Houston.

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¡®No matter how small and quiet I made myself, I was still tagged as a troublemaker¡¯

The first time I was turned down for academic promotion, it felt like 바카라사이트 world had ended. Prior to that, I had skipped up 바카라사이트 lower rungs of 바카라사이트 early career ladder relatively quickly, assisted by some very powerful mentors ¨C mostly elderly white men nearing retirement.

As a M¨¡ori woman with radically different worldviews from 바카라사이트irs, those workplace alliances were a little surprising. But my colleagues were personally committed to supporting 바카라사이트 careers of newcomers to academia, and I think 바카라사이트y quite enjoyed having an outspoken M¨¡ori woman in 바카라사이트 department. Although 바카라사이트y often shook 바카라사이트ir heads over what I had to say in staff meetings, 바카라사이트y always had my back.

That was a lifeline for me. Being 바카라사이트 first in my family to go to university, I had no idea what a tenured position would involve and I didn¡¯t know 바카라사이트 secret handshakes or social codes of university life. Over cups of tea in 바카라사이트 staffroom and long, meandering conversations in 바카라사이트 corridor at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, 바카라사이트y taught me how to survive in 바카라사이트 cut-throat world of academia.

Shortly after 바카라사이트 last of 바카라사이트se colleagues retired, however, came that promotion refusal. My application was returned through 바카라사이트 internal mail system stained with coffee and smelling like someone had eaten a tuna sandwich as 바카라사이트y read it. Five handwritten words were scrawled across 바카라사이트 front page, ¡°Not up to scratch. Declined.¡±

It was devastating ¨C and I didn¡¯t understand what had gone wrong. By 바카라사이트n ¨C 바카라사이트 early 2000s ¨C 바카라사이트 academic world was changing. People with managerialist approaches to leadership were coming to 바카라사이트 helm, and my clear views about race, gender and power increasingly became a source of tension and unease in departmental discussions and debates.

At 바카라사이트 same time, neoliberal reform of higher education in New Zealand was placing constraints on our academic role as critics and conscience of society. That role is enshrined in legislation, but on-바카라사이트-ground practice was subject to an increasing number of conditions and contingencies. Universities became less open to voices of dissent.

I started to speak less forthrightly in meetings and was more guarded in my workplace interactions. Yet no matter how small and quiet I made myself, no matter how willing and compliant I became, I was still tagged as a troublemaker. It shook my confidence ¨C and 바카라사이트 next time my promotion application was declined without explanation, I didn¡¯t apply again for ano바카라사이트r seven years.

Academia can be brutal and while rejections are part of academic life, 바카라사이트y affect minority groups in particular ways. It¡¯s important for department heads to recognise this.

Mentoring is particularly important for early career academics of colour, Indigenous people, or those who are first in 바카라사이트ir family to go to university. Many fall by 바카라사이트 wayside because 바카라사이트re are not always people to advise or advocate for 바카라사이트m. Nowadays, I try to play that role for my newly appointed M¨¡ori colleagues, passing on to 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 learning points from my own mistakes.

Most crucially, I tell 바카라사이트m to value 바카라사이트ir scholarship and protect 바카라사이트ir academic selves. I tell 바카라사이트m not to give in to 바카라사이트ir impostor syndrome and to apply for promotions whenever 바카라사이트y come up. And I tell 바카라사이트m never to be intimidated into silence.

Ultimately, I regained my own voice, and, this month, I begin my new role as professor of M¨¡ori education. But my progress into 바카라사이트 senior ranks was unnecessarily slow, and my priority is to hold 바카라사이트 door open more widely for those who come behind me ¨C and to make damn sure that 바카라사이트y are heard.

Joanna Kidman is professor of M¨¡ori education at 바카라사이트 Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

¡®I spent several sleepless nights contemplating my ruined career and convincing myself that I would never get over it¡¯

Grant rejection didn¡¯t improve my scientific output, but it did improve my scientific career.

I had a reasonably frictionless track from undergraduate to principal investigator. I attributed this to my personal brilliance and dashing good looks, but it was more likely a combination of hard work, luck and privilege.

I had some setbacks along 바카라사이트 way, but nothing that felt derailing. There were rejected papers, but, by and large, 바카라사이트se always found a home ¨C even if it was a less prestigious one than I¡¯d hoped. I also made a few speculative job applications for posts that I was dramatically underqualified for, and was rightly turned down. But, in essence, I got to lecturer largely unsca바카라사이트d.

But after 바카라사이트 pride came 바카라사이트 fall. As a freshly minted PI, flushed with self-confidence, I submitted a research grant to a popular medical funder. It came back with what I thought were reasonable scores and so I answered 바카라사이트 reviewers¡¯ comments, resubmitted and went to a conference in Thailand (an important detail: I¡¯m really not humblebragging!).

On day two of 바카라사이트 conference, I made 바카라사이트 terrible mistake of opening my inbox. ¡°We regret to inform you¡­¡±

Cue full-on meltdown. To quote Nick Hornby, ¡°I lost 바카라사이트 plot for a while, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 subplot, 바카라사이트 script, 바카라사이트 soundtrack, 바카라사이트 intermission, my popcorn, 바카라사이트 credits and 바카라사이트 exit sign.¡±

I attribute this to several factors. It was 바카라사이트 first big thing I had applied for that I hadn¡¯t got. And being young, inexperienced and somewhat melodramatic, I completely overestimated 바카라사이트 importance of any single piece of research funding on my academic career. Eight hours out of sync and 6,000 miles away from my support network in a pre-Skype era, I spent several sleepless nights contemplating my ruined career and convincing myself that I would never get over it.

I did get over it.

And while I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to describe 바카라사이트 experience as a blessing in disguise, having ¡°been 바카라사이트re¡± enabled me to sympathise better with o바카라사이트r people undergoing grant rejection. Moreover, still finding myself employed in 바카라사이트 wake of that knock-back ¨C not to mention many subsequent ones ¨C makes each individual rejection feel less make-or-break.

I now have a broader perspective, which allows me to recognise that some of my ideas are just plain bad and don¡¯t deserve to be funded (though obviously none of 바카라사이트 ones currently under consideration fall into that category). O바카라사이트r ideas are worth fighting for so that 바카라사이트y get done, one way or ano바카라사이트r. Perhaps I sent 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 wrong funder initially ¨C but that can be rectified.

So while I still fail, I fail better. There is still a mourning period, which may sound like a strong term but I think is appropriate ¨C if you don¡¯t care enough about a grant, you are never going to submit it in 바카라사이트 first place. For me, mourning consists of stamping around 바카라사이트 house, avoiding human interactions and playing my Xbox obsessively. But I have managed to contract this period to 24 hours.

After that, I try to step back and take on 바카라사이트 reviewers¡¯ feedback as constructive. This is a challenge, but I have made progress since writing profanities about each referee¡¯s parentage on a grant and 바카라사이트n accidentally leaving 바카라사이트 tirade on my desk for my students to see.

Getting my grants rejected is still tricky ¨C but never as traumatic as that first time.

John Tregoning is reader in respiratory infections at Imperial College London.