When Every Door Slams Shut: Why Career Rejection Might Be the Best Thing That Happens to You

Twelve years ago, I thought my career was over.

After more than a decade at Goldman Sachs and reaching VP level in finance, I decided to make the leap to tech. I had the credentials, the experience, and what I thought was transferable expertise. What I didn't anticipate was spending an entire year being systematically rejected by an industry that couldn't figure out what to do with me.

"Too senior for entry-level roles." "Not enough tech experience for senior positions." It was career purgatory - overqualified and underqualified simultaneously.

Most companies wouldn't even consider me for Account Executive roles. Tech recruiters treated my finance background like a liability rather than an asset. After months of rejections, I started questioning everything. Maybe I'd made a terrible mistake leaving the financial world.

Then Felicity McCarthy decided to take a chance on me.

She offered me a contract role on her marketing team at Facebook on a salary that was 10% of what I used to earn. I was grateful and I took the job.

The Step-Back Strategy

Sometimes the path forward requires going backwards first. That contract role was my education in tech culture, processes, and language. I learnt how different the pace was, how decisions got made and what all of the lingo meant.

More importantly, I proved to myself that I could adapt. The skills that made me successful in finance - building relationships, understanding complex problems, managing pressure - absolutely translated to tech. I just needed someone to give me the platform to demonstrate it.

Within five years, I'd climbed back to VP level in the tech industry. I’m proud of that.

What Rejection Actually Teaches You

Looking back, those slammed doors taught me things that smooth sailing never could have:

Resilience has layers. I thought I was resilient from my finance days, but getting rejected month after month whilst questioning your entire career direction? That was a brutal, painful lesson which stood me in good stead.

Your value isn't determined by one industry's opinion. Finance valued my analytical skills and client relationships. Tech initially couldn't see past the lack of SaaS experience. Neither perspective was complete.

Sometimes you need an advocate, not just credentials. Felicity saw potential where others saw risk. She understood that talent transfers across industries when you're willing to invest in someone's learning curve. Being on a contract made that easier but I will still be forever grateful.

The long game matters more than immediate gratification. Taking that massive pay cut felt devastating in the moment. But it positioned me for opportunities that wouldn't have existed otherwise.I was determined to make that move and ultimately it paid off.

Why This Matters Now

Career pivots are becoming the norm, not the exception. Whether it's the Great Resignation, industry disruption, or personal reinvention, more professionals are facing the same challenge I did: convincing an industry they're worth the risk.

If you're currently staring at a wall of rejections, here's what I wish someone had told me:

The doors that slam shut aren't necessarily the ones you were meant to walk through anyway. I believe in a friendly universe. Sometimes rejection is redirection towards something better aligned with who you're becoming, not just who you've been.

That contract role at Facebook didn't just change my career trajectory, it taught me that sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as compromises. The key is recognising which compromises are investments in your future and which ones are just settling.

Keep pushing those doors.

Some will slam shut. Others will crack open just enough to let you squeeze through. And occasionally, someone like Felicity will fling one wide open and invite you in.