February 4, 2025 • 11 mins
As educators transitioning into UX and product design, the sting of rejection can feel overwhelming. But remember, you're not alone in this. Every "no" you encounter is an opportunity to adapt and grow. In today's episode, I share a personal story of rejection and guide you on transforming these challenging moments into stepping stones towards success. Embrace the journey, and let rejection propel you to new horizons in your career transformation. Tune in for encouragement, insight, and a reminder that your worth is not defined by rejection but by your ability to persist and flourish.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Narrator (00:01):
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, zee Arnold, a15-year teacher turned UX
researcher, is here to guide,coach and mentor you through
every twist and turn as you makeyour career transition into
tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle
(00:23):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.
Zee (00:42):
Hello teacher friends, welcome back to the UX Teacher
Prep Podcast, and I am your host, zee.
I know I've been gone for aminute.
I took a long holiday break andextended it a little bit more
to take care of some personalmatters, but I'm happy to be
back.
Happy New Year to everyone.
I've been thinking about you alot and no matter where you are
in your career transitionjourney.
(01:02):
Today, in 2025, I just want toremind you that you are doing
amazing things and I hope thatyou're doing well.
It can feel like a rollercoaster sometimes, but I want to
remind you that every stepforward, no matter how small,
counts.
Today, I want to talk aboutsomething that we all face at
some point in our careers,especially in UX Rejection.
It's something that can feelpersonal, frustrating and
(01:26):
disheartening, but the truth isit's actually part of the
process.
In fact, it's a learningopportunity.
Today, I want to share somethoughts on how to navigate
rejection and keep movingforward in your career search.
Whether it's not landing thejob you wanted, not getting the
feedback you hoped for or justnot seeing the results you
expected, you are definitely notalone.
(01:48):
I face rejection more timesthan I can count, and many
teachers have, and they're stillfacing rejection as they try to
transition to their new careers.
But all hope is not lost Nowlet me tell you a little story.
When I was 16, I started workingas a telemarketer.
It was my first real job and itinvolved cold-calling people
(02:09):
trying to sell them stuff thatthey probably didn't want
Definitely not the glam job Iimagined at that age.
My mom was working for thishome heating oil company and she
got me a little part-time gigthere.
Talk about getting comfortablewith rejection.
It was an experience, that'sall I can say.
I was calling people all daytrying to sell them oil to heat
(02:31):
their homes and, trust me, Iheard no more times than I could
literally count.
People would hang up on me,curse me out and tell me how I
was interrupting their dinner tobother them about oil.
It was so discouraging guys.
But here's the thing In thebeginning I felt like total
garbage.
I was like this is not the jobfor me.
(02:52):
I can't do this.
I don't know how people even dothis for five minutes, let
alone four or five hours, andevery time I heard no, it just
crushed me.
But over time, each no stoppedfeeling like a failure.
Instead, it actually became alesson.
So it was a lesson inpersistence for me, in learning
from setbacks and, mostimportantly, in understanding
(03:14):
that rejection wasn't areflection of my own worth.
So as I began to learn more andmore about how to improve my
selling skills and my phoneskills, I learned from others on
my team on the floor and I gotbetter at selling and my phone
skills.
I learned from others on myteam on the floor and I got
better at selling and I even gotbetter at handling rejection.
In fact, those rejectionshelped me to learn to pivot,
adjust my approach and keepmoving forward.
(03:34):
So that experience shaped me somuch into who I am today in my
career and fast forward to my UXjourney.
Whether it was not getting theinterview I was literally
dreaming about or not gettingput on a project I felt that I
was a great fit for, or justeven being overlooked in
meetings, I know that rejectionisn't the end.
It's just a part of the processand it's an opportunity for me
(03:57):
to grow stronger and growsmarter.
So if you're feeling this thingof rejection right now, I want
to remind you that it's all apart of your story.
It doesn't define you.
It's a lesson and it can pushyou forward in ways you don't
even realize yet.
Rejection feels bad and it canmake you question your abilities
on your path to transition outof teaching.
But here's the thing Rejectionis not a roadblock, it's a
(04:18):
stepping stone.
But how do you actually stayresilient when you face setbacks
?
Let me break it down for you infour steps that can help you
turn rejection into anopportunity for growth.
Step one you need to reframeyour perspective, and what I
mean by this is to reframe howyou see rejection.
Instead of thinking of it as afailure, try viewing it as a
(04:42):
stepping stone.
Like I said before, in UX,things don't always go as
planned.
Maybe your research didn'tyield the results you expected,
or maybe a client wasn't fullyon board with your
recommendations.
In the same way, during the jobsearch, you may have two
interviews that you thought werereally great, but then you
don't get called back for eitherof those positions.
You might not even get a thankyou for interviewing email.
(05:02):
I've been there more than once.
Take a step back and askyourself what did I learn from
this experience?
What can I do differently nexttime?
Every setback gives you anopportunity to refine your
skills, strengthen your approach, build resilience.
Rejection is just a detourthat's leading you to where you
need to go, and I know formyself.
(05:22):
Every single time I've had aninterview or a situation where I
was rejected.
I was always able to reflectand to see how I could improve
for the next time.
So take it as a learningexperience.
Step two always stay curious andask for feedback.
One of my strengths iscuriosity.
Think back to the story Ishared about my telemarketing
(05:43):
job.
Once I got over myself andstarted to see that rejection
wasn't about me personally, Ibegan to ask questions like did
I just get hung up on becausethat man thinks I'm a loser, or
was he genuinely pissed that Iwas interrupting him during his
dinner time with his family?
What if I called him back onSaturday afternoon on that shift
?
You see where I'm going withthis.
(06:04):
So the second step is to staycurious and actively seek
feedback.
Rejection is hard, but itdoesn't mean that you've been
left behind or that you're notgood enough.
Ask for specific feedback, andthis could be from a colleague,
a mentor or even the person whorejected your application.
Understanding the why behindtheir decision gives you
actionable insights.
(06:24):
For example, let's say youpresented your UX research
findings and they weren't wellreceived.
Instead of taking it personally, reach out to your team and ask
what would you have wanted tosee differently?
That feedback helps you growand it sharpens your skills.
It opens the door forimprovement.
In the case of an interview Iknow you've heard this before,
(06:44):
but it is okay to email theperson who rejected you and ask
for feedback if it wasn't givento you on your last interview or
your last meeting with them.
Another way you can handle thisis to go over the interview
notes you took and ask yourselfhow you could have improved.
Ux is all about iteration.
That means doing it over andover and over again and
(07:05):
improving it little by littleeach time, and that goes for
personal development too.
So it's a chance to learn newtechniques, get more experience
and refine your skills and yourstorytelling.
And guess what?
Sometimes you said all theright things and they just
picked someone else for a reasonout of your control.
It's a hard truth, but that'sthe way the cookie crumbles
(07:25):
sometimes.
But the way I look at it is,when one door closes, another
opens, and I truly believe thatMaybe there was something that
would have been an issue for youlater on at that job you never
really know.
But I'm a believer and Ibelieve that sometimes God just
keeps us from certain things toprotect us.
So I count it as a blessingwhen I'm rejected.
Lastly, you have to develop agrowth mindset.
(07:46):
I want to encourage you tocultivate a growth mindset, and
that means embracing the beliefthat you can always improve, no
matter the challenges you face.
As teachers, you're alwaysadapting and evolving.
The same is true as UXprofessionals.
We're always adapting, evolvingour tools, our methods and
insights.
We're constantly changing.
So the more you see rejectionas a chance to expand your
(08:08):
knowledge, the more it propelsyou forward.
Think about it If you facerejection and still continued,
you've always proven that youcan bounce back.
That resilience is something tobe proud of.
I really believe there's alesson to be learned in every
rejection, and that rejection isredirection.
And the last thing is I want youto celebrate your small wins.
(08:28):
When you're navigating a toughpatch, it's easy to lose sight
of the progress that you've made.
You're focused on the rejection, but what about all the small
victories you had along the way?
Maybe you finally figured out atricky prototype, or maybe you
had a great conversation with amentor that helped you clarify
your goals for your next steps.
Celebrate those small wins.
(08:50):
Rejection can feel isolating,but when you take a moment to
recognize your growth andaccomplishments, it gives you
the strength to keep movingforward.
I can promise you this yourjourney is not going to be
linear.
There's going to be ups anddowns and if you celebrate the
progress that you've made, eventhe tiniest step forward, it'll
keep you motivated and moving inthe right direction.
(09:11):
So to recap those things numberone, reframe rejection as a
stepping stone and not a failure.
You need to desensitizeyourself by accepting it as a
part of the process.
It as a part of the process.
Number two, stay curious andask for feedback to keep
improving.
Number three, embrace a growthmindset, knowing that you're
(09:32):
always learning and growing.
You are in a training groundright now.
And number four, celebrate eventhe tiniest wins.
So my final thought is if you'regoing through a tough time
right now, just remember youhave what it takes to move
forward.
And if you're not going througha rough time right now, just
know that it will come.
Be prepared and don't take itpersonal.
(09:55):
I know it's not easy, but eachrejection is shaping you into a
more resilient, more skilledversion of yourself.
Whether you're just starting inyour career transition or
you're deep into your new UXcareer, you need to take those
lessons, apply them and keepgoing.
I know you got this.
Thanks for tuning in today andI hope you found this episode
(10:16):
helpful.
Remember I'm always hererooting for you, and if you need
additional support, reach outon my website uxteacherprepcom
to set up a coaching call.
If you found any part of thishelpful, be sure to share it
with someone else who might needto hear it too.
Take care and we'll talk soon.
Narrator (10:35):
Hey, thanks so much for tuning in.
If you like this podcast, hit,follow and scroll down to leave
a five-star rating.
Then share it with a friend.
If you're looking for resourcesto help you on your tech
transition journey, head over touxteacherprepcom.
Follow us on LinkedIn andInstagram at uxteacherprep for
daily tips and motivation.
(10:55):
Have a topic you'd like to hearaddressed on the show?
Send us a DM on Instagram.
If you're listening on YouTube,like, subscribe and share.
Until next time, be well.
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, zee Arnold, a15-year teacher turned UX
researcher, is here to guide,coach and mentor you through
every twist and turn as you makeyour career transition into
tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle
(00:23):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.
Zee (00:42):
Hello teacher friends, welcome back to the UX Teacher
Prep Podcast, and I am your host, zee.
I know I've been gone for aminute.
I took a long holiday break andextended it a little bit more
to take care of some personalmatters, but I'm happy to be
back.
Happy New Year to everyone.
I've been thinking about you alot and no matter where you are
in your career transitionjourney.
(01:02):
Today, in 2025, I just want toremind you that you are doing
amazing things and I hope thatyou're doing well.
It can feel like a rollercoaster sometimes, but I want to
remind you that every stepforward, no matter how small,
counts.
Today, I want to talk aboutsomething that we all face at
some point in our careers,especially in UX Rejection.
It's something that can feelpersonal, frustrating and
(01:26):
disheartening, but the truth isit's actually part of the
process.
In fact, it's a learningopportunity.
Today, I want to share somethoughts on how to navigate
rejection and keep movingforward in your career search.
Whether it's not landing thejob you wanted, not getting the
feedback you hoped for or justnot seeing the results you
expected, you are definitely notalone.
(01:48):
I face rejection more timesthan I can count, and many
teachers have, and they're stillfacing rejection as they try to
transition to their new careers.
But all hope is not lost Nowlet me tell you a little story.
When I was 16, I started workingas a telemarketer.
It was my first real job and itinvolved cold-calling people
(02:09):
trying to sell them stuff thatthey probably didn't want
Definitely not the glam job Iimagined at that age.
My mom was working for thishome heating oil company and she
got me a little part-time gigthere.
Talk about getting comfortablewith rejection.
It was an experience, that'sall I can say.
I was calling people all daytrying to sell them oil to heat
(02:31):
their homes and, trust me, Iheard no more times than I could
literally count.
People would hang up on me,curse me out and tell me how I
was interrupting their dinner tobother them about oil.
It was so discouraging guys.
But here's the thing In thebeginning I felt like total
garbage.
I was like this is not the jobfor me.
(02:52):
I can't do this.
I don't know how people even dothis for five minutes, let
alone four or five hours, andevery time I heard no, it just
crushed me.
But over time, each no stoppedfeeling like a failure.
Instead, it actually became alesson.
So it was a lesson inpersistence for me, in learning
from setbacks and, mostimportantly, in understanding
(03:14):
that rejection wasn't areflection of my own worth.
So as I began to learn more andmore about how to improve my
selling skills and my phoneskills, I learned from others on
my team on the floor and I gotbetter at selling and my phone
skills.
I learned from others on myteam on the floor and I got
better at selling and I even gotbetter at handling rejection.
In fact, those rejectionshelped me to learn to pivot,
adjust my approach and keepmoving forward.
(03:34):
So that experience shaped me somuch into who I am today in my
career and fast forward to my UXjourney.
Whether it was not getting theinterview I was literally
dreaming about or not gettingput on a project I felt that I
was a great fit for, or justeven being overlooked in
meetings, I know that rejectionisn't the end.
It's just a part of the processand it's an opportunity for me
(03:57):
to grow stronger and growsmarter.
So if you're feeling this thingof rejection right now, I want
to remind you that it's all apart of your story.
It doesn't define you.
It's a lesson and it can pushyou forward in ways you don't
even realize yet.
Rejection feels bad and it canmake you question your abilities
on your path to transition outof teaching.
But here's the thing Rejectionis not a roadblock, it's a
(04:18):
stepping stone.
But how do you actually stayresilient when you face setbacks
?
Let me break it down for you infour steps that can help you
turn rejection into anopportunity for growth.
Step one you need to reframeyour perspective, and what I
mean by this is to reframe howyou see rejection.
Instead of thinking of it as afailure, try viewing it as a
(04:42):
stepping stone.
Like I said before, in UX,things don't always go as
planned.
Maybe your research didn'tyield the results you expected,
or maybe a client wasn't fullyon board with your
recommendations.
In the same way, during the jobsearch, you may have two
interviews that you thought werereally great, but then you
don't get called back for eitherof those positions.
You might not even get a thankyou for interviewing email.
(05:02):
I've been there more than once.
Take a step back and askyourself what did I learn from
this experience?
What can I do differently nexttime?
Every setback gives you anopportunity to refine your
skills, strengthen your approach, build resilience.
Rejection is just a detourthat's leading you to where you
need to go, and I know formyself.
(05:22):
Every single time I've had aninterview or a situation where I
was rejected.
I was always able to reflectand to see how I could improve
for the next time.
So take it as a learningexperience.
Step two always stay curious andask for feedback.
One of my strengths iscuriosity.
Think back to the story Ishared about my telemarketing
(05:43):
job.
Once I got over myself andstarted to see that rejection
wasn't about me personally, Ibegan to ask questions like did
I just get hung up on becausethat man thinks I'm a loser, or
was he genuinely pissed that Iwas interrupting him during his
dinner time with his family?
What if I called him back onSaturday afternoon on that shift
?
You see where I'm going withthis.
(06:04):
So the second step is to staycurious and actively seek
feedback.
Rejection is hard, but itdoesn't mean that you've been
left behind or that you're notgood enough.
Ask for specific feedback, andthis could be from a colleague,
a mentor or even the person whorejected your application.
Understanding the why behindtheir decision gives you
actionable insights.
(06:24):
For example, let's say youpresented your UX research
findings and they weren't wellreceived.
Instead of taking it personally, reach out to your team and ask
what would you have wanted tosee differently?
That feedback helps you growand it sharpens your skills.
It opens the door forimprovement.
In the case of an interview Iknow you've heard this before,
(06:44):
but it is okay to email theperson who rejected you and ask
for feedback if it wasn't givento you on your last interview or
your last meeting with them.
Another way you can handle thisis to go over the interview
notes you took and ask yourselfhow you could have improved.
Ux is all about iteration.
That means doing it over andover and over again and
(07:05):
improving it little by littleeach time, and that goes for
personal development too.
So it's a chance to learn newtechniques, get more experience
and refine your skills and yourstorytelling.
And guess what?
Sometimes you said all theright things and they just
picked someone else for a reasonout of your control.
It's a hard truth, but that'sthe way the cookie crumbles
(07:25):
sometimes.
But the way I look at it is,when one door closes, another
opens, and I truly believe thatMaybe there was something that
would have been an issue for youlater on at that job you never
really know.
But I'm a believer and Ibelieve that sometimes God just
keeps us from certain things toprotect us.
So I count it as a blessingwhen I'm rejected.
Lastly, you have to develop agrowth mindset.
(07:46):
I want to encourage you tocultivate a growth mindset, and
that means embracing the beliefthat you can always improve, no
matter the challenges you face.
As teachers, you're alwaysadapting and evolving.
The same is true as UXprofessionals.
We're always adapting, evolvingour tools, our methods and
insights.
We're constantly changing.
So the more you see rejectionas a chance to expand your
(08:08):
knowledge, the more it propelsyou forward.
Think about it If you facerejection and still continued,
you've always proven that youcan bounce back.
That resilience is something tobe proud of.
I really believe there's alesson to be learned in every
rejection, and that rejection isredirection.
And the last thing is I want youto celebrate your small wins.
(08:28):
When you're navigating a toughpatch, it's easy to lose sight
of the progress that you've made.
You're focused on the rejection, but what about all the small
victories you had along the way?
Maybe you finally figured out atricky prototype, or maybe you
had a great conversation with amentor that helped you clarify
your goals for your next steps.
Celebrate those small wins.
(08:50):
Rejection can feel isolating,but when you take a moment to
recognize your growth andaccomplishments, it gives you
the strength to keep movingforward.
I can promise you this yourjourney is not going to be
linear.
There's going to be ups anddowns and if you celebrate the
progress that you've made, eventhe tiniest step forward, it'll
keep you motivated and moving inthe right direction.
(09:11):
So to recap those things numberone, reframe rejection as a
stepping stone and not a failure.
You need to desensitizeyourself by accepting it as a
part of the process.
It as a part of the process.
Number two, stay curious andask for feedback to keep
improving.
Number three, embrace a growthmindset, knowing that you're
(09:32):
always learning and growing.
You are in a training groundright now.
And number four, celebrate eventhe tiniest wins.
So my final thought is if you'regoing through a tough time
right now, just remember youhave what it takes to move
forward.
And if you're not going througha rough time right now, just
know that it will come.
Be prepared and don't take itpersonal.
(09:55):
I know it's not easy, but eachrejection is shaping you into a
more resilient, more skilledversion of yourself.
Whether you're just starting inyour career transition or
you're deep into your new UXcareer, you need to take those
lessons, apply them and keepgoing.
I know you got this.
Thanks for tuning in today andI hope you found this episode
(10:16):
helpful.
Remember I'm always hererooting for you, and if you need
additional support, reach outon my website uxteacherprepcom
to set up a coaching call.
If you found any part of thishelpful, be sure to share it
with someone else who might needto hear it too.
Take care and we'll talk soon.
Narrator (10:35):
Hey, thanks so much for tuning in.
If you like this podcast, hit,follow and scroll down to leave
a five-star rating.
Then share it with a friend.
If you're looking for resourcesto help you on your tech
transition journey, head over touxteacherprepcom.
Follow us on LinkedIn andInstagram at uxteacherprep for
daily tips and motivation.
(10:55):
Have a topic you'd like to hearaddressed on the show?
Send us a DM on Instagram.
If you're listening on YouTube,like, subscribe and share.
Until next time, be well.
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