“Thank You For Your Interest”

Most job seekers are familiar with those words at the top of a letter or email, signaling that you likely don't need to even keep reading: Thank you for your interest. Two people in the audio industry were tired of reading those words, leading them to reclaim them as the title of a new podcast series.

Rebekah Sebastian and Samantha Gattsek , who are the creators of Thank You for Your Interest , recently joined LinkedIn News Editor Andrew Seaman to talk about their show and what they've learned during its production.

A transcript of the conversation is below. You can also listen to the episode above or by clicking here .

Also, check out Thank You for Your Interest wherever you get your podcast by clicking here .

TRANSCRIPT: “Thank You For Your Interest”

Andrew Seaman: "Thank you for your interest." Any job seeker knows the sting of those words. Many people skip the rest of the email or letter. They already know what the message is. Rejection. Some people learn to live with that sting and even laugh at it. Those include today's guests. In fact, think of today's episode as a rejection support group. We'll hear the story of how two job seekers transformed their setbacks into new opportunities. That's coming up after this short break.

From LinkedIn News, this is Get Hired, a podcast for the ups and downs and the ever-changing landscape of our professional lives. I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor-at-large for jobs and career development, bringing new conversations with experts who, like me, want to see you succeed at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

Joining me today are Rebekah Sebastian and Samantha Gattsek. They're the creators of Thank You for Your Interest, a new podcast that shares hellish, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories of rejection. In our conversation, Rebekah and Samantha open up about the valuable lessons they've gained from embracing rejection and how doing so has transformed their approach to looking for work. I kicked off our conversation by asking Rebekah about how their experiences of rejection brought them together.

Rebekah Sebastian: We're both podcast producers. Samantha is a bit more of an audio engineer. I'm more of a host and producer. And we were both struggling to find a job, so we found ourselves at an event. I went with the intention of networking and hopefully networking my way right into a dream job. I think Samantha was doing something similar.

Samantha Gattsek: Yeah, pretty much.

Rebekah: And I can only network for so long. I'm an introvert. I actually sat down at a table, Samantha asked if she could sit there, and we met.

Samantha: I walk in and I do the quick scan to see if I know anybody, and I don't. And Rebekah's sitting by herself at a table.

Rebekah: Looking at her phone.

Samantha: Yeah, so I'm just like-

Rebekah: Big no no.?

Samantha: "Okay, she looks safe. It's just one person." And we lock eyes and I was like, "Okay, I guess we're doing this."

Rebekah: Yep.

Andrew: You got to be introverts together.

Samantha: Exactly.

Rebekah: The safest way to be one, really, especially at a party. And that's when we just started talking, and we realized we were going through something incredibly similar and that no one talks about it. And after we'd finished sharing how many rejections we were getting, it felt so good, not that Sam was going through that, but that I wasn't alone in going through it.

We ended up talking to other people, and we're talking high-level podcast executives, newer to the industry people. Everybody had a very similar story.?

I got a rejection email on my way out of the event on my phone. I got a notification, and I saw the words, "Thank you for your interest." And I knew what that meant. But then the words really clicked in my brain and I thought people need to tell their rejection stories because it feels so good to unload it and remember it's not personal. Contacted Samantha in the next couple of days, and I think we found each other on LinkedIn, true story, and we said, "Do you want to independently produce this?" And here we are.

Andrew: That's fantastic. And also, for people who listen to podcasts, they may be aware of this, but the podcast industry has had a rough go of it the last especially couple years because there was a podcast boom, a lot of money flowing into it. Then there was the pandemic, so everyone was into audio all of a sudden, and then things started to dry up as people started returning to work. When you go to a networking event for podcasting, there's a lot of people, basically.

Rebekah: Yeah.

Samantha: I don't think there was one person I met at the event that wasn't going through some sort of struggle. Even if they were employed, they were like, "I'm way overworked because my company doesn't want to hire more people."

Rebekah: And when will this end? Because things seem to be ending abruptly. Shows that had three, four, or five seasons are just suddenly unable to continue. That's just a reality. So yeah, you get it.

Andrew: Yeah. And what has been your experience with rejection? I hate asking this question because it's like, let's dig up all this stuff, but what has been your experience with rejection so far in your search?

Samantha: Yeah, I think being a freelancer, it comes with the territory because you're always looking for the next big thing, and so you're always reaching out on the message boards. Rebekah and I actually counted while we were making the trailer for our show. When we recorded, I had 14, and then I think by the time the show launched, I was like, "I've got 17 now." It really is just part of the job.

Rebekah: It's like the race nobody wants to win, because I was beating her for a while, which I put in air quotes because I'm losing because I have more rejections. For me, I was actually really in search of a full-time role, which are few and far between in podcasting. But I also have a marketing background. That's what I did before I was in podcasting, so I was looking for some kind of magic hybrid marketing podcast role.?

And my experience was a lot of getting the interviews and getting second interviews. And back even before marketing, I was an actress. And when I had a commercial agent many, many years ago, she would call me the Callback Queen. It's like I would get the callback and never book the gig.

Andrew: Got it.

Rebekah: They liked you until that one point where it came down to really deciding to invest in you. And so it was feeling like that. And that's where the space I was in when I showed up to that event. And I think that's why I made the show, and I wanted to make it with Samantha because I wanted to give us back some power to tell the story and to create a space where people can share their story and not just feel so bad and so alone.

Andrew: And also, I think that people are afraid or embarrassed to share the rejections, or even the fact that they're looking for work, which always fascinates me. I have friends and family who, they're miserable in their job or they want to find something else, and I'll say, "Did you tell your friends that you're looking for something?" And it's like, "Are you kidding?" And I'll always say, "How can anyone help you if they don't know you need it?" And has it been a struggle finding people to share their stories?

Samantha: I am surprised that we did not receive more. I would post about the show and what we were trying to do on message boards, and people would email me and be like, "This is such a good idea. I can't wait to listen. I love this idea. I can't wait to listen." And it was like, "Come on, though. We need people to-"

Rebekah: "We have a Google form for you. Go fill it out." The discrepancy between the interest and the comments of, "Oh, I've got so many stories, this is great," and who actually felt secure and safe enough, because it is vulnerable. It's a vulnerable thing to even say you need a job, you want a different job, because there's that fear that you won't get it and then that you'll look incompetent or silly or something that isn't true because we've all been there. People are incredibly vulnerable coming forward and telling us these crazy stories. Really, what people go through is alarming, so we really just wanted to create the space for connection and to tell a story.

Andrew: What have you learned about rejection throughout this process?

Samantha: None of this is personal. And I can say that a million times, and it's still hard to really get it through your brain that none of these rejections are personal. It doesn't mean you're not good at your job. Rebekah came up with a tagline. "Rejection sucks, but you don't." That's exactly what you're-

Rebekah: That's the heart of it.

Samantha: Yeah. That's what we're trying to do, is just... It's nothing personal, and it's really hard to disconnect. And also for me, I'm trying to remember that this is just work. This is not who I am as a person. I can have interests and there are validating things, there are good things about me outside of work, so just trying to remember to focus on those in moments where you get rejection and you're frustrated. And of course, that's not going to replace the money and the income, but just to mentally be okay through the job searching process is very important.

Rebekah: Yeah, that's so good. There's this hashtag going around and it's very self-help adjacent. Rejection is redirection. And I was always eye-rolly about it, but I think in every story I've seen it to be true. It was a fork in the road. And they didn't get what they really thought they wanted or should have or needed. Something else presented itself. And usually, I think everyone's been happy with how their life opened up and how their path ended up going, so I think rejection really is redirection. And I guess it's a phrase for a reason.

Andrew: Yeah, and it's also for some places. Each case, I assume, is so unique, but at the same time, there's the idea that, like you said, the spotlight syndrome where it's like, "Oh, this is personal," or there's the idea that this is a no forever or something like that. And it's not, because I assume that most people, they will eventually get to a yes. It's just the question of, how long is that going to take and how many applications will that take? Right?

Samantha: Right.

Rebekah: Yeah.

Samantha: Exactly. Yeah, and I think some people, through a big no or through a big disappointment, it helps them realize what they're... Maybe they're not looking for the right thing in that job, and so it's just not a good fit. I think it's also really easy from the outside to look at a job and be like, "Oh, that's perfect. That's my dream job. I would love to work for this company." You have no idea what's going on internally and what the dynamics are like and if you'll like your coworkers. And so I think it's really easy on paper to just be like, "This is my dream job," and then you're like, "Oh, this is the end of the world because I'm not going to get it." But I think sometimes it just works out.

Rebekah: One of our guests, it was her dream job. If she could have written what she'd wanted to do, it was this. And then not only did she not get it, she found out in the worst way possible that she didn't get it through social media. And it made her rethink, what does she want to do? And she took that moment and put herself in the driver's seat a little bit more in her career and ended up doing something a little bit more independently, and is thriving.

Andrew: Through all of these stories and combing through the submissions you've received, have you been able to apply anything differently to your search for work?

Rebekah: Well, it's kept us so busy I haven't been as actively looking.

Samantha: It's true.

Rebekah: And what's also very funny is we both started this, we were quite underemployed. I wouldn't say we were unemployed, but we had margin and space in our calendars to do this. A couple weeks into production, Samantha got a great gig, and then I did. Because isn't that always the way? I actually feel very content right now.

I do think the next time I approach and start looking for the next opportunity, I do think I will be able to carry some of that distance, just a healthy distance between me and the job description and remember that it is just words describing something that isn't me and my heart and my brain and my whole self. So yeah, I think I'll have a little healthy distance in terms of taking it personally.

Andrew: We'll be right back with Rebekah Sebastian and Samantha Gattsek.

Andrew: And we're back with Rebekah Sebastian and Samantha Gattsek, creators of the podcast Thank You for Your Interest. And then the other question I had is, is there a good rejection, do you think?

Rebekah: I do think there's potential for a positive rejection. And I guess I'll just use an example because I printed this email out and have it framed in my office. It's a rejection from a place, it was my North Star. It was where I saw myself. And there was all the form letter, and then there was a paragraph where they expressed that they were really impressed with my candidacy. "Please keep in touch. Please connect on LinkedIn and look at future opportunities." And they gave me a specific note about why this project didn't work.

To me, it was almost as good as getting the job because I understood why I didn't get it. It felt like my time was valued that I'd put into the process. And it was encouraging. It didn't leave me going, "Am I in the wrong profession? Is my path so off course?" I look at that and remind myself, "You were very close." And sometimes being close just means not this time, maybe next.

I do think there is a way to do it with candidates who've come a certain point in the process. You can't expect a personalized response for every application you put into a portal, but if you've gone and had a few conversations and collaborated in some way or talked about specific work concepts, I think something personal is really nice.

Samantha: Right, or just knowing that it came from a person and not just an automated form, because I think we've all gotten that email too, where it's clear they forgot to put a name in or roll in. And you're like, "You really just couldn't even do the bare minimum?"

Andrew: Dear insert name here.

Samantha: Yeah, and it's super frustrating, obviously. So yeah, if you've gone through one or two rounds of interviews, at least the person that you've interviewed with, have them reply because it shows that they valued your time.

Rebekah: And also, on the side of the applicant, I think there's a good way to handle rejection. Have your moment by yourself with your people, but I think how you respond to that is really important. And as much as you want to be like, "Well, fine," insert expletives here-

Andrew: Yeah, another F-word.

Rebekah: Yeah, exactly. I wasn't sure what's allowed here. Even to those horrible AI-generated emails, I will say, "Thank you for the opportunity," blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We all know what to say. Another example, I just ran into a woman who I had a couple of interviews with at a podcast conference a month after that rejection. And I was so happy I could look her in the eye and say, "Hi, if you remember, we met on Zoom." And of course, she did. And took a minute and we just said, "Hello," and I just felt so happy I'd sent that email because it's a small world.

Andrew: And I always say you don't want to burn bridges because you may-

Rebekah: Don't burn a bridge.

Andrew: ... need to cross one eventually.

Rebekah: Exactly.

Andrew: Yeah. And also, I think especially if you're offered feedback, be receptive and just happy that they gave you some feedback because you're not going to be able to argue your way into the job.

Samantha: Absolutely not.

Andrew: And so once that door is closed, it's pretty much closed, so you're not going to want to be like, "Well, actually I did give a perfect response to that." It's not going to work. And I got rejected from LinkedIn, but it worked out, obviously.

Rebekah: Clearly.

Andrew: But it was because someone took the time to give me feedback on, "Hey, you were great, but you didn't seem excited about the role."

Rebekah: Interesting.

Andrew: And then the next time I went in, I was all smiles and energy, and look at me now.

Rebekah: That's a great example of a good rejection and getting feedback that you could take, and you could clearly hear it. We have to be willing to be humble enough to hear that there's actually things we can learn, because who among us doesn't have something to learn?

Andrew: And regardless of whether it's true or not, it's data because that's how they perceived you, so you-

Rebekah: Exactly.

Andrew: ... have to go into it and be like, "Okay, was I having an off day? Did I wear my shirt backwards?" Something like that. It could be anything, but it's like, it's the data that you could say, "Okay, how do I recalibrate so that way I'm not giving off the wrong impression next time?"

Rebekah: Absolutely. That's so encouraging to hear.

Andrew: Yeah. And even back then, I remember thinking to myself when I was getting that, I was like, of course I was excited. I just want a job.

Samantha: Exactly.

Andrew: But I didn't tell them that.

Samantha: Right.

Rebekah: And also, nerves do different things to different people. Some people get stoic and focused. Some people get overly excited, where they might've been, "Whoa, Andrew, that was a lot. Tone it down." Someone else might get that feedback. "Simmer down. It's coming off-"

Andrew: I have given that feedback to people before.

Rebekah: Exactly. And so nerves, again, manifest different ways for different people, so hearing that is... Practice interview with someone. Do it on Zoom. Do it on the phone. Work out whatever it is. Your thing is that you can control it a little bit as much as you can.

Andrew: And what would you want to say to people who are listening who are like, "Listen, this is great, rejection still sucks though?" What advice would you give people?

Samantha: Yes, you're not wrong. That's the thing.

Rebekah: Yeah, we don't disagree.

Samantha: Yeah. There's no way of getting around rejection, I think though. It's a part of life in every aspect, so you just have to learn to deal with it. And it's just, our show is to help you mentally while you're going through the job searching process because it's a lot, but you're not alone. And that's all we can give you. We can't offer you a job, but we can just offer you the camaraderie.

Andrew: Yeah, exactly.

Rebekah: All of that. And I would add that our guests have said it's been incredibly cathartic for them. And sometimes people said, "I've never shared these details," because you feel like they're shameful, even though they're not. I would say rejection's always going to suck. It's never going to be something any of us want. We're all going to inevitably receive it again. Maybe try and experiment.?

Tell your closest friend, tell someone you trust that loves you about your rejection and all the feelings, and see if you feel better letting someone carry it with you, instead of feeling like you have to shoulder it and hide it. I think that's where people really start feeling isolated and demoralized. I just know for Samantha and I, when we went to that event and heard everyone saying something similar, I walked out like, "Wow, job market's rough, but it's not just me." And that can put a little pep in my step.

Andrew: And also, I think the practice of literally saying things or expressing it-

Rebekah: Yes, saying them out loud.

Andrew: ... it takes power away from it, I think.

Rebekah: 100%.

Andrew: And there is that idea that you're keeping it bottled up. And just getting it out, you're like, "Oh, okay. That's manageable. I could do that. I went through that. I'm okay. I'm just moving forward."

Samantha: Exactly.

Andrew: And then most importantly, where can people find your show?

Samantha: Great question. Our podcast, Thank You for Your Interest, is available wherever you get your podcasts. You can go to our website at tyfyipod.com to submit your story.

Rebekah: And new episodes come out on Mondays.

Andrew: Amazing. Well, thank you both.

Samantha: Thank you.

Rebekah: Thank you for your interest in our podcast.

Andrew: You're trying to take the power back with a positive spin.

Rebekah: I sure am. We are rebranding those words.

Andrew: Yes. That was Rebekah Sebastian and Samantha Gattsek, the creators of Thank You for Your Interest. If you want to check out their show, search Thank You for Your Interest wherever you listen to podcasts. We've also included a link in the show notes.

If you're leaving today's conversation with a new learning to apply to your job search or career, I'd like to invite you to write about it in a review on Apple Podcasts. Our team really enjoys reading what you learned from our shows. Plus, it helps other people discover our community. Speaking of community, remember that we're always here backing you up and cheering you on. Connect with me, Andrew Seaman, and the Get Hired community on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Get Hired is a production of LinkedIn News. The show is produced by Grace Rubin and Emily Reeves. Assaf Gidron engineered our show. Tim Boland mixed our show. We get additional support from Alexandra Kuznietsova and Ali McPherson. Sarah Storm is our senior producer. Enrique Montalvo is our executive producer. Dave Pond is head of production and creative operations. Maya Pope-Chappel is director of content and audience development. Courtney Coupe is head of original programming for LinkedIn. Dan Roth is editor in chief of LinkedIn. And I am Andrew Seaman. Until next time, stay well and best of luck.