Jobs are not one-size-fits-all

Have you ever been turned down for a job that felt perfect at the time - only to look back and realise it wouldn’t have been right for you after all?

I’ve been doing some reflecting recently on my own career journey with the usual questions I explore with clients too:

• What was it about the jobs where I felt most fulfilled that made me feel that way?

• What was missing in the jobs that didn’t light me up quite so much?

And a new one for me:

• What have I learned with hindsight about the jobs I didn’t get?

There are 3 opportunities that have always stuck with me when I’ve thought about my career path. The jobs that I so desperately wanted, that I didn’t get.

With the benefit of everything I know about myself now, I can see that those particular jobs weren’t the right fit for me (something the interviewers must have recognised at the time too). Whether it was something about the nature of the role itself, the environment, the culture, the people, or whether it was something about me and what I could bring to it.

But just because those particular jobs weren’t quite right, doesn’t mean all jobs of that nature wouldn’t be.

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I got turned down for a role in recruitment…yet went on to secure a different recruitment job where I thrived.

I didn’t make it onto the National NHS Graduate Scheme…but I did get accepted onto a local graduate scheme which led onto a 10 year career in the NHS.

I can see now that those rejections led onto something much more aligned, which I’m so grateful for.

It doesn’t take away the fact that in the moment, rejection can feel crushing. But with hindsight, we often see that those doors closed for a reason - making space for something that aligns better with who we are and how we work best.

When I work with clients, we spend time exploring what “best fit” really means - because not every job will bring out your best. Sometimes we’ve outgrown our current role. Sometimes it was never the right fit to begin with. And sometimes, it’s only when things start to feel off - when you’re not energised, not performing at your best, or feel stifled - that you realise something isn’t working anymore.

Finding the right fit starts with understanding yourself: your values, your strengths, the environments you thrive in. Because when those things align, work feels more natural, satisfying, and sustainable.

Looking back over my own career, I can see this pattern clearly. At the time, the jobs I didn’t get felt like huge setbacks but each “no” led me closer to a role that was a much better fit for me.

So if you’re feeling a bit despondent or lost in your current job and wondering whether it’s really the right fit or whether there could be something better out there for you, I wanted to share my career journey and how these rejections shaped my experience and led to better-fit roles just around the corner…

1. The recruitment role that was too salesy

Early in my career, I knew I wanted to work in HR, and the only way in without experience or qualifications seemed to be through recruitment. After an introduction through a family-friend, I interviewed for a recruitment consultant position. Whilst I knew the role was sales-focused and commission led, I wasn’t put off - I would have done anything to break into HR. I thought I did an ok job of the classic sales interview question “sell this pen to me”. So when my phone rang the minute I pulled up on the drive, and I was told it was a ‘no’, I was devastated. The feedback was that I wasn’t persuasive enough…and, you guessed it…too quiet.

I can look back now and see that it wouldn’t have been the type of role I would excel in or an environment in which I would thrive (so maybe it was a blessing in disguise) but at the time I was gutted.

I didn’t give up on my hunt and shortly after, I landed a role as a recruitment coordinator for a large recruitment consultancy. The role was based onsite with the client, co-ordinating the resourcing of their temporary staff. My job was to partner with the business and understand their needs - and then work with a number of external recruitment consultants to fill the roles. They made the cold calls and shortlisted CV's, I scheduled the interviews and got the feedback from the business. This was perfect for me because I built relationships with both the business leaders and external recruitment consultants and I got to really understand the way everything knitted together - a perfect introduction to this side of HR and all the things I naturally enjoyed and did well. Partnering - yes. Sales - no.

2. The graduate scheme that could have swallowed me up

Later, I applied for the NHS Graduate Management Scheme (still looking for my official break into HR). I made it to the assessment centre but felt swallowed up among louder voices all trying to stand out. I gave it my best and hoped that the assessors could see through the noise to notice my quiet contributions - but it was no surprise when I didn’t get through.

A few months later, I got a call from the North West Strategic Health Authority - they were launching a smaller, local graduate scheme for just six people and were inviting to interview those who had narrowly missed out on the national scheme. I got the place. It was a perfect environment for me: we were a close-knit group, with fantastic local support from the Strategic Health Authority - and I didn’t need to move away for a job or to attend uni - it was all in the North West. Being one of six meant I could build real connections and contribute meaningfully - something that would have been hard on the national scheme.

3. The employee relations role I would have outgrown

After 10 years in the NHS following the graduate scheme, I decided I wanted to try working in the private sector. I found myself applying for HR Advisor or Junior HRBP roles because I thought I’d have to prove myself before working back up to HR Business Partner (partly because of scaremongering about moving from public to private sector, and partly due to my own confidence). So when I interviewed for an Employee Relations Partner role in a company that I wanted to work for, I was incredibly disheartened when I didn’t get it.

The feedback was that I might become bored quickly and I’d be more suited to a Business Partner role (crushing yet affirming at the same time). Soon after, a Business Partner role opened in the same company, and I got it (they had known a retirement was on the cards and held me in mind for this). It played far better to my strengths: partnership, strategy, and problem-solving and once in the role, it was clear that the earlier one wouldn’t have been right for me.

What all these moments taught me

The roles we don’t get often reveal something important about what we need - even if we can’t see it yet.

I didn’t have a coach during these times in my career and it never occurred to me that the ‘no’s’ were creating space for something better.

It’s only with the benefit of hindsight that I can see why the roles I was rejected from wouldn’t have been right and I do wonder whether I’d have saved myself the disappointment of those rejections if I’d been able to apply the feedback more meaningfully, reframe the rejection more thoughtfully - and apply for jobs with more intention in the first place.

And that’s the heart of what I encourage my clients to explore

Because, while my experience is in HR, most careers aren’t one-size-fits-all.

The same job title can look and feel completely different depending on the company culture, the expectations, and the people.

So if you’re feeling stuck, undervalued, or like you’re not quite yourself at work, it might not be you - it might be a mismatch.

Sometimes, something better really is just around the corner - especially when you start defining what “better” means for you.