FUCHS: Rejection is redirection
Column: Questioning Jules
For my whole life, it has been my dream to work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I fell in love with this institution when I was a child and was specifically captivated by the ancient Egyptian collections. I remember on one of my first visits, I bought a small guide to reading Egyptian hieroglyphs and tried to understand them.
Needless to say, I was without a doubt a fan of ancient Egypt. I loved learning about the country's ancient culture and was specifically interested in mummies (which I understand fully is a very strange thing for a kid to be interested in). As I grew up, the interest never faded, and the burning desire to study it has remained.
Throughout my college career, I tried my best to incorporate ancient Egypt into all of my academic endeavors. I applied and was accepted into the Interdisciplinary Research Team program, and I worked on a project analyzing the use of Minoan-style frescoes in Tell el-Dab'a Egypt.
For my senior thesis, I worked on a detailed website and catalog for the Rutgers Geology Museum’s Egyptian Collection — including Iset-Ha the Ptolemaic Era Priestess who rests there. I was very proud of my work and had a confident feeling about the future, including the internships I applied for.
For better or for worse, I applied for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Fall 2022 internship program. This was my sixth time applying for the program — I have applied every fall, spring and summer season since my first year at Rutgers. During the third week of July, I received an email entitled "Met Internship Interview," and my heart immediately stopped. This was the furthest I have ever made it into the application process, and I could hardly believe what I was reading.
I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. I prepped for my interview by having my parents ask me mock interview questions. I looked on every possible Reddit page to get insight on the types of questions I might be asked. I even picked out a nice outfit and did my hair and makeup, despite the interview taking place via Zoom. I went to bed early the night before, and then in the morning, drank substantial amounts of water and coffee to be prepared. I also made sure to ask my family to be quiet during my interview.
During the interview, I was nervous but still felt confident that it went well. I had displayed my knowledge, lifelong interest in the subject, personality and value as a potential asset to the company. I left the interview feeling hopeful that I would be offered a position.
To my dismay, the following week, I received a rejection letter. This broke my heart. I had gotten so close to securing my dream internship and being able to work in an institution that I have looked up to since I was a kid. I was especially discouraged since I put so much effort into preparing for the interview and establishing relationships with the curators of the Egyptian department.
Although this was a tough experience to process, I feel that I may have gained more from being rejected than I would have if I had been accepted. Being told no inspired me to seek out other opportunities and focus on my own research with the Rutgers Geology Museum. I have since delved into cultural resource management, graded exams for a professor and held a marketing internship, all while maintaining my positions at the Rutgers Learning Center and Starbucks.
These experiences are not what I had expected from this semester, but I am extremely grateful for all that I have learned. With the extra free time I have, I also decided to delve deeper into my faith. I joined the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at Rutgers. This has allowed me to build relationships with like-minded people while practicing and celebrating my religion.
Ultimately, you should not be discouraged by rejection, no matter how much it may hurt. Rejection and failure can be instrumental in your own personal growth and the success of your career. Be grateful for those experiences, and use them as inspiration to have new and unexpected experiences and improve upon yourself.
With that being said, this experience has not deterred me from applying to the Met internship again. I will keep applying until one of two things happens: I age out of the graduate school eligibility to apply, or I get accepted. I believe that persistence is crucial and will make you a stronger candidate and individual overall.
Julia Fuchs is a graduate student in the art history department studying Cultural Heritage and Preservation. Her column, "Questioning Jules," runs on alternate Thursdays.
*Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
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