As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, one of my favorite movies is The Commitments. It’s the fictional story of a group of scruffy people who banded together to form a 1960s-style rock and soul revue in the unlikely city of Dublin in the late 1980s. They were supposed to meet and presumably jam with music legend Wilson Pickett. The day came. The band waited. He didn’t show. Imagine how bummed they must have felt. To elevate the mood, the most experienced player in the band (the trumpet player, who claimed to have worked with Elvis Presley and other legends) referred to the missed meeting as “it was poetry – you raised their expectations.” Whether or not Wilson Pickett even knew about the meeting, for a brief while the band members had something to lift them out of their grind and aspire to something greater.

I’ve had more than a few of those moments in my career, such as…

Interviewing for a marketing leadership role at a company I’ve worked with and long admired. Another with a company I’ve competed against and always wanted to join.

Project managing all workstreams related to product and service award submissions, identifying and partnering with subject matter expert contributors, and serving as the internal champion, and then waiting for the award announcement. Sometimes your name is called, sometimes it isn’t.

A company I worked for was invited to bid on a $16 million deal – one of the largest opportunities in the company’s history – as a direct result of my relationship with an analyst firm. Even though the prospect was a Tier 1 for the company, the salesperson was unaware of the opportunity. The company lost because the bid was significantly more expensive than another supplier. Not a cry for help but a statement of fact, the marketing function of the organization (that would be me) is not involved in pricing.

Spending countless hours researching, roleplaying, and giving it all you have, only to come in second in literally hundreds of interview situations.

So how do you rebound from a setback?

Allow yourself to (briefly) feel disappointed: It’s normal to feel disappointed or upset. Allow yourself to acknowledge these feelings without judgment. Take some time to process the rejection and reflect on what went well during the interview process and think about what areas you could improve in your presentation.

Stay positive and maintain perspective: This is especially true in the analyst RFI and awards submission processes. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude and keep things in perspective, especially if this is your first award or you’re working with team members who are new (to the process, the company, or to you). Remember that this rejection does not define your worth or product/service value. Keep in mind that there are other opportunities out there, and this setback is just a step closer to a win.

Keep moving forward: Use this setback as motivation to continue pursuing your goals. Stay resilient and determined. Although the Commitments broke up when Wilson Pickett didn’t show, you can pick yourself up and keep moving forward.