Are you nervous going into an interview? Nervous before even setting up the interview? I was petrified of being told “no” when asking for an interview because I took it personally. Getting over the fear of being told no was the best thing for my confidence.
If you are scared of being told no, know that you’re not alone. I was there, too, and I’m sure others have been as well. A couple of things that helped me get over that fear sound simple but can be hard.
1) Understand that you don’t know what is going on in someone else’s life.
You may have just asked someone for an interview who is so overwhelmed with the work they already have on their plate. They aren’t trying to offend you by saying no; they just can’t imagine adding one more thing to their busy day.
2) Get used to bouncing back.
You’ll be told no in any career path you choose, not just journalism. The sooner you can pivot and move on from no, the better you will be. Never take it personally. Some people just do not like getting out of their comfort zone for an interview.
3) Have many backup plans.
Being adaptable goes hand in hand with bouncing back. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket by counting on one person to say yes. Come into the story knowing the person could say no. Have backups for that person and keep thinking of ways to pivot.
I know these tips might be simple, but it never hurts to have a reminder.
Tori Chester is a graduate of the Master of Mass Communication program at South Dakota State University. She produced this content as part of her final project.
