How do you deal with rejections as a freelancer?

Tronia Level 1

November 18, 2017, 3:34 pm

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Rejections are a part of life. I think that every single person gets rejected at least once but accepting it is always the hardest part. Freelancing as a job is always tough but especially when you're brand new, just starting out and possibly have unrealistic expectations.

I remember when I just started and there were some job offerings as a content writer - I was so eager to apply and I was confident that I'd get accepted. Sadly, that wasn't the reality. I got rejected more than once and the worst part for me was that they never gave an explanation.

Some freelancers might be discouraged by the rejection but for me personally, it made me stronger and it made me work harder.
Therefore I am curious fellow freelancers, how do you deal with rejections?

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TommyCarey

TommyCarey

I get rejected and I reject people almost every day. If you're not getting rejected, you're not trying to make money online lol

Some people take it too far and just spam everywhere they can and get rejected 99.9% of the time, which you shouldn't do.

My rejections usually come from me pitching a guest blog post opportunity and the blog owner not wanting to work with me, which is understandable, because they weren't in love with my pitch. I then go back to the drawing table and perfect my pitch even more to increase the chances of being accepted and avoiding a rejection

Rejection is simply a part of life and we all need to get use to it. If you get defeated after one, two, or ten rejections then you're probably not going to be in business for long. There are people who cold call all day and get rejected 1,000 times, but they pick up the phone the very next day and start calling again. They do this because they know that they will eventually hone their pitch and make it as good as it can be, which will increase the chances of getting a sale and a commission

Some people who are cold calling all day make a killing because of how well they can sell over the phone. And this is extremely difficult today since everyone is worried about getting their identity stolen via a phone call and buying something. For this reason, a lot of telemarketers will forward people to a webpage or collect their email and send them an invoice for a product or service in order to actually collect a payment through a trusted 3rd party service like Paypal or something similar

9 years ago

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Barida

Barida

It's great to read your reply, Mr. Razzy. Now, I understand that as long as making money is concerned, then we can't feel bad being rejected at every moment of our freelancing work.

9 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

How do you feel to reject people? Your statement makes me think you are comfortable about being rejected because you also have the power to reject other people.

I agree rejection is part of life but we shouldn't get used to it.

9 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I believe you should deal with rejections positively. Use it to correct yourself. Everyday we must keep on improving.

8 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I recently joined a site for writers that you can get a writing job provided your application is accepted. After submitting my resume, I was informed that I was rejected. I’m sure it was my resume that maybe I should have given a more interesting bio regarding my qualifications. What got into my mind was you should not be too honest when writing your resume. I shrugged my shoulders and I have to move on from that rejection.

8 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Rejection is part of the job but it happens for many different reasons. Sometimes a buyer might not like your prices. Maybe you don't have enough reviews, or enough good reviews. There are also rare occasions where buyers pass you up because you explain to them that you can't meet the unrealistic expectations they've set for their project. For example - someone asking for 1 million Facebook LIKES in a span of two months. While it's a paying gig - at the end of the day any freelancer worth their salt is going to let the buyer know this goal is simply impossible and counter with a more realistic proposal. Sometimes they accept and you can do business with them. Other times they decide to move on to another freelancer.

9 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Situations such as some of the clients not having specific reasons to reject freelancers is one of the reason that I don't get all that bothered when things don't go well. We can't work for every client we met on the internet as a result of their decision.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I think it is important that rejection happens for many reasons, as you say above, and keeping that kind of perspective can help one from taking things personally or to heart and thus keep one from becoming to down or depressed about the situation at hand. It is not always the fault of the guy applying for the job--there are, in many instances, as you said above regarding unrealistic expectations, faults on the possible employer's side as well. I have been on hiring committees before where we had incredibly qualified applicants, but they never got an interview because the committee, for one reason or another, considered them "not a good fit:" for the team, and these applicants will never really know WHY they did not get the call back for the job.

9 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

When a company or client mentions good fit sometimes they are looking for someone of a certain age or maybe someone more entrenched in their own field of expertise. For example - if a financial firm is looking for someone to spread the word about their services - they'd pass on an elite level social influencer because that particular influencer isn't firmly planted within the financial world. Or has no background in that realm of expertise. So while he or she may be able to get clients to the firm - the firm overseers just feel more comfortable working with someone who has a strong background in finance.

9 years ago

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Pixie06

Pixie06

I once had to complete a test to get accepted for an online job which I failed. Initially I was disappointed. I then realised that my failures will help me to improve and not make the same mistake again. I know that I cannot always win and I have to accept defeat at times and learn from it.

9 years ago

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wiseagent

wiseagent

Being disappointed after having put so much effort into something important is super common. But we must always be ready for rejections in order to be able to be with a clear ours minds and face the next
challenges.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

This happens to all of us no matter what area of life we are in. This type of failure can happen no matter how much effort we put into something. We all have to learn from our mistakes, and sometimes, they are not even mistakes on our part--we just run into obstacles or things that we could not have prepared for no mater what, and so we have to learn new techniques of survival from those situations as well.

9 years ago

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wiseagent

wiseagent

Honestly, I think there's not much you can do when it happens (unless you're really doing something wrong and need to change it). Rejection is a risk that anyone runs when they decide to enter into some sort of competition and in the world of freelancers, competition is extremely high. But either way, it's always good to have a mind well prepared to deal with it.
.

9 years ago

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seolads

seolads

i completely agree with your opinion. Rejections are part of freelancer's work and we all have to be prepared for it. Even better if you know why you get rejected, so you can adjust your service and get better result next time and reduce chance of getting rejected over and over again

9 years ago

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wiseagent

wiseagent

I think it's totally normal to think about mistakes (but not always they are uniquely yours... you may just haven't fit the job profile), but doing this in excess is extremely harmful / waste of time.

Move on and be ready for the next challenge.

9 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

I think rejecting is a learning experience and at one time in our life we all have been rejected. The thing to do is not let pride get in the way and ask the person why you were rejected and improve yourself based on the feedback that you get. Because the only way you're going to learn is by learning from your mistakes.

9 years ago

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Tronia

Tronia

Yes, I agree and you raised a good point - your pride or your ego. When you get rejected, naturally your ego gets bruised and you can take it quite badly. Some people get sad and others might even get angry. But the most important thing is to draw from it and to LEARN. Use it as experience for the future and to know what to expect.

9 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

This is exactly what I said as well. I think by letting the rejection get to you, you are letting them win. It's important that you do not let it get in the way and you should work even harder to prove those that rejected you wrong.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Great advice here--how many of us have let our pride keep us back in our lives and keep us for furthering our learning experiences? I know I have let it get in the way of my life being better on many occasions. I try to give my students the same advice which you are giving here and encourage them to please communicate with me about the grades they receive instead of taking them personally. I am here to help, but sometimes people set up an adversarial relationship with you when you are trying to be a possible mentor. It's unfortunate when this happens because everyone misses an opportunity for personal and professional growth--sometimes even emotional and spiritual growth as well.

9 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

I was rejected by PostLoop initially but I never let it get to me. To be fair, I think their rejection was actually fair because I don't think my content was as good because of the fact that I was quite young back then (this was before PostLoop closed and then got new owners). I worked on my content and I managed to get approved when PostLoop opened again. It's important to never let the rejection affect you.

9 years ago

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kgord

kgord

Being rejected is a learning and growing experience. Rejection is something that everyone goes through and those who freelance go through it more than the average person. It is never fun, but I think it is a learning experience and one we can learn and benefit from.

9 years ago

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vhinz

vhinz

I have been rejected many times both for offline and online jobs. Rejection is really painful when you know that you are capable of doing the job. Until this these days I still experiences rejections but it pushes me more to become motivated and broaden my knowledge.

9 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Rejection should push you to get better at what you're doing and prove to those clients that you're better than when they rejected you. It's not always easy to bounce back, but it's not impossible to do as well.

9 years ago

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vhinz

vhinz

Yeah I become more motivated to push further every time I am rejected. It is really hard but there's no other way to succeed but to keep on moving and learning.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

You are basically demonstrating the fact that you can't quit, no matter how many times you are rejected, and that is inspirational to other people and it also shows your determination and resolve. It's ironic that rejection can keep us from our goals, at least in the short term, but it also strengthens our resolve and forces us to grow in our professions and in our personal lives. If everything was easy all of the time, would we really ever learn anything?

9 years ago

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vhinz

vhinz

I quit in so many things in the passed which gave me painful lesson. I learned that quitting because if rejection will result to frustrations, disappointments, and waste of good opportunities. Sometimes we really could not avoid rejections and we might not be able to achieve all of our goals in lives, but the struggles we face in our journey, our failures, and how we work so hard, could be an inspiration to other people. So every time you are rejected, move on, and think other possibilities so you keep on getting closer to your goals.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Good point here, and you made me think about being a father. What example would I set for my daughter (and being a teacher, for my students) by quitting when obstacles, rejections, or disappointments fell upon me on my path to success? Quitting is not an option in this case because I need to demonstrate to those who depend upon me that we should all keep striving to better ourselves and to overcome setbacks. I know that I tend to be inspired by people who persevere.

9 years ago

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Barida

Barida

One good thing I've come to realize is a freelancer is that it's almost impossible for us to do all the works given to us by all the clients we get on a daily basis. So, I always set my mind on showing my skills and being optimistic that I can get the job done. In cases of rejection, I analyze and try to see where I have to get better as well.

9 years ago

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Krisleen

Krisleen

I treat rejection in general as a normal part in the process of growing. I take it as a lesson for me to improve. I have a simple mindset when it comes to rejections. If God gets rejected, how much more with humans. Why expect zero rejection for a human like me? If dead people get rejected, how much more those who are still alive. Again, why expect zero rejection? My solution to that is to improve everyday. Don't focus on competition. Focus on improving yourself until you are good enough and that's the time rejections are minimized. We cannot please everyone so rejection is everywhere. The least we can do is minimize it by improving consistently. I apply this in everything I do, not just in freelancing. This is the reason why I don't fear rejection at all.

9 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I wouldn't say it made me stronger as I still have trouble dealing with rejection and it still ruins my motivation each time but I guess I just have learned to live with it because I have no other choice but to keep going. I need the money so I have no choice but to keep on trying even if some end up in rejection. Maybe some day I will get more used to it but honestly it just isn't something that feels good to me especially when I have put a lot of effort into something already.

9 years ago

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augusta

augusta

I have always believed in my motto which is "we gain some and lose some" which have been helping me.In life, there will always be a rejection no matter how good we are.Not just in freelancing world in all our endeavors.So I don't worry pretty my head or bother about rejections.I just take in my long strides and move on to where I will be appreciated.

9 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I just go with it and try not to take it all that personally. In life, we have to roll with the punches or else we're simply not going to make any progress.

Putting myself in the shoes of the prospective client, if I were looking for a freelancer and I happened to reject one over another, it isn't because I had something personal against them or felt they weren't a good freelancer. It is simply that I only need one person, and the other one had a little something more along the lines with what I needed.

You have to be confident in yourself and realize that you can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time. You have to expect that you will be rejected, and that it doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have the skills and talents to find work, it's just that you either weren't right for this particular scenario or you ran into a bit of bad luck.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Excellent point here! We can't take it personal! It's just business--however, if you can get the client who rejected you to be somewhat specific about why, then that is definitely a learning opportunity. I know when I get pieces which I have written rejected that I would like some editorial feedback, when I can get it, but a lot of clients and editors (especially at journals) are not very open to going that extra mile in order to provide feedback for your improvement, You just have to go back to the drawing board, as they say, and give it another shot.

9 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I'm definitely in the same boat as you, with regards to clients and wanting more feedback.

Constructive criticism is absolutely necessary to grow and improve, whether you're a writer, designer, or literally anyone in any creative field. No one steps into their line of work with absolutely perfect content, and mistakes are like signs which lead you on the road to improvement.

Thing is that constructive criticism takes more thoughtful effort than the average person is willing to put in, especially if they feel that there isn't any potential for a future freelancer-client relationship.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

It is always a benefit to find people in business who are willing to give you pointers. A lot of people won't, and there is a certain attitude towards you when you make mistakes or, for whatever reason, do not provide the possible employer or client what he or she wanted. If they can see potential in you, down the road, however, they are more than likely to give you the pointers and advice that you seek. It really helps when people in business are sympathetic to those of us just getting started and dealing with a learning curve.

9 years ago

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peachpurple

peachpurple

I write for my own blog, I have never wrote any articles for anyone yet, so I have not experience rejection yet. However, my own blog traffic is very slow, earning is just cents, is that a rejection from the readers too?

9 years ago

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overcast

overcast

I get a lot of rejection as a freelancer. And however that is true. I am working more on what works as a freelancer. That seems to be way better option for many among us. You can see that freelancer life is hard. And not many people want to admit that part. It's just that many people just want to build things on the top of that. And they leave out the small things. I prefer to even get small clients and then take my way ahead slowly.

9 years ago

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TimothyAlex

TimothyAlex

Rejection doesn't ever bother me. Overall, no matter how you are marketing yourself, most times you will hear no far more than you hear yes. If a person can't handle that, they will never become successful.

9 years ago

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anwebservices

anwebservices

To reject or being rejected is not worst what happens to freelancers. Specially if you reject(ed) before job starts. It's bad if you do a job, invest your time or even money and get rejection, that makes me frustrated, but in other case it's something we have to deal all the time and we have to get used to that

9 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

If you cannot handle rejections, you can never become a freelancer. Rejections are very common in the freelancing world. Its not like people rush to give you work. It is more like you find a job, apply and then get rejected. If you have tried any freelancer site than you will understand you will get rejected more than getting accepted. Since 2010, I have been regularly submitting my stories to various literary magazines, however, I have never been accepted. Still, I am continuing to submit my work. Rejections make me sad, but I never give up

9 years ago

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JonathanS98

JonathanS98

Well, when you decide to take freelancing on as a job. You'll most likely soon realize the vast amount of competition you have within your niche. Simply put, there may be someone more qualified than you when you submit your services in hopes of gaining gigs/jobs. Therefore, as freelancers, rejection is just a part of the game. If you're a new freelancer, you'll probably be rejected for your services several times, before actually picking up your first job.

It should also be noted on what Timothy said. No matter how good you are a marketing yourself and/or the service you present, there will always be a chance that you'll get rejected way more than approved. On a personal note, I'd say it used to bother me a little. But then I learned to improve my skills in my niche for every time I heard a "no" or experienced rejection.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

As a writer, and subsequently, as a freelancer, rejection is just a part of the game. You figure that out pretty quickly, and I was warned about this as well by my mentors before I went into the writing profession. My work has been rejected thousands of times over the last 25 years; however, it has also been accepted thousands of times, in journals, anthologies, and in freelance writing jobs and articles. What you have to offer in your business should be unique and pesonalized, so, there is most likely a unique fit for it--the hard part is finding those fits, and the only way to do that is to just keep sending stuff out and experimenting with the market or markets which you are interested in. A lot of people let rejection kill their spirits, and they give up and stop submitting their work or products--no one is going to be able to read your stuff if it is just sitting there on your desk or laptop. You have to keep rending it out, relentlessly.

9 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I began submitting stories on literary magazines since 2010 and I have never been accepted. My first article appeared in newspaper in 2001, I have published over 300 articles on that newspapers, however, my articles are still rejected. My articles are rejected even in the publications where I have published over 500 articles.
Rejections are the part of the game

9 years ago

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jaymish2

jaymish2

One of my goals in life is to keep improving my skills. I strive to do that always. You also learn that your skills can't suit everyone, different people are looking for different things. This a lesson we all need to learn and quickly move on when we find we are not a match for the client. I've always believed that all you need to do is do your best if your work is rejected after that, move on. You will find someone else that will appreciate it.

Rome was not built in three days. We all need to learn to have the patience to develop our skills. But even then I think you would still find someone that does not like your work. Just do what you can. Life has a way of working out.

9 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

It was a nightmare for me the first time my article was rejected. I felt the client was unfair and I used to ask the employer the reasons why an article was rejected. Luckily, I was told why and I was able to learn and make some changes. Nowadays, I only see it is part of freelance experience and I never accept to do an article if I am not familiar with the topic or question.

9 years ago

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coolavender

coolavender

Offline, I've experienced rejections for job applications but online, I have yet to experience one. That is probably because I haven't really ventured full blast on freelancing and my writing experience have been largely with a content mill. It may come one of these days, but I'm quite positive about it because even the best writers around get their own share of rejection. There are times, though, that I would receive notice for revisions which I never take personally as clients may have different needs and perception of the job and it's just something that I have to adjust to.

9 years ago

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potentialwriter

potentialwriter

Rejections are common things in business generally, whether online or offline. Business entrepreneurs should understand this in order not to experience downfalls at all times. When someone rejects you, other people may accept you. Out of every 1000 people that you meet in the course of running your business or marketing, at least about 400 people may reject you while the rest will potentially accept you.

As a freelancer, you must equally learn to accept this fact. It is going to be a powerful marketing instrument for making maximum sales.

9 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

Let me share this attitude of a known scriptwriter for movies. When he writes a script, he would condition his mind that it is the best he had written and it will surely be accepted. But after finishing the script and submitting it to the producer or director, he would make a 180-degree turn on his mind, that his script was not really that good so he should forget all about it. And if ever one script is accepted, of course, that is a cause for celebration.

9 years ago

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azsdpa12

azsdpa12

Too many freelancers let writing rejection get in the way of success. And that’s a big problem. If you let rejection beat you down, you’re not going to make a living writing.

9 years ago

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Adesuwa08

Adesuwa08

Rejection is a tough thing to handle sometimes, I remember the heartache and troubles I went through when I got rejected on some platforms, it was sure depression I felt like the worst freelancer to speak of I didn't even want to continue again.

I remember I applied for postloop and forum wheel it was my best friend who linked me to it, he told me the whole rules and regulations which I followed, I made the whole ten posts and was awaiting their reviews and call of approval I had so much faith and hope because I know I did well. The last thing I remember that I did when I got their response was me screaming No!, I sent emails to their support groups stating and asking why I got rejected despite I did well and that I was much better than some people there and blah blah blah, it was very depressing and I cried because that meant I couldn't try again with the same email account. My best friend who introduced me got me to open another account and try them again and this time I put all my best in it and got accepted in postloop with a very good rating, this thought me that as a writer don't give up because of a rejection instead try again, get yourself together and try again that's the best way to handle rejection.

9 years ago

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Rumu

Rumu

Well, I don't think there is any define process or generally accepted method that can be applied or exercised by anyone when faced with the feeling of rejection with regards to freelancing.

The best and simpliest way of coping and handling such situation is to take it as it comes. Nothing ever comes easy in life, so as freelancing. Before getting succesful one must first face rejection which in a way can help a person do more thereby perfcting their arts. If you can always have this mindset, then you can overcome any feeling of rejection faced with during the course of work.

9 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

I just remind myself that there are a lot of opportunities out there in the online world so I don't have to be let down by people's rejections because they don't actually see your face and other employers have their own personal preference. just keep on working and you'll find the right fit for you.

9 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

It's a numbers game for me if I get 10 inquiries and only 1 sale then I would target getting 50 inquiries so that I can get 5 sales. It's all about numbers and marketing.

8 years ago

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