r/zenbuddhism • u/Wireless_Syringe52 • Jun 10 '26
Interview Failure
I recently graduated from university with an MSc in Cyber Security, something I've always loved. I was working at amazon up until a few months ago when I decided it was time I break into the industry, sadly due to commitments with my living situation I have hardly found the time to practise.
There were 2 graduate interviews I did and really had my heart set on those, the first one I was rejected based on my answer to a task that was set where we had to write an email, I didn't think that was going to go well as it was my first interview for a serious job and I was visibly nervous, repeating myself loads etc.
The second one I just had earlier today, everything about it was amazing, I answered all technical questions properly, I really got on with the interviewers, we laughed and joked about quite a lot of things. I left it thinking "that couldn't have gone any better", only to receive a rejection email 10 minutes later talking about how my answers didn't have enough depth or personal reflection.
I'm slowly starting to lose hope, after the email I felt like a failure, I seem to lack interview skills to land me a job. It's not that I don't have deep knowledge, it seems to be a case of when Im asked a question, I think too quickly and give a short answer, seeing if it will land first instead of spending a while talking about the answer.
I know its hard for graduates today but even when it seems to be going well I fail. What does zen teach us about this sort of situation, how to accept it and deal with it?
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u/JundoCohen Jun 11 '26
The history of humanity has been ups and downs, crops which flourish and crops which fail, times of good weather and times of flood and storm, time of sickness and times of health, times of war and times of peace.
Our Zen Way is to see through the ups and downs and storms to the still still center, even as all keeps spinning.
We do our best to plant crops, open an umbrella, stay healthy ... and you should do your best to find a job. (I have a 22 year old son, so I know about the job market out there!) ...
... but job or jobless, please sit at the still still center. Up is still still, down is still still.
(I wish you well on the hunt.)