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CAREER
Voice Over Rejection Hurts! How To
Face It, Bounce Back And Succeed 
February 25, 2015

By Victoria DeAnda-Rich
Voice Actor & TV Producer

Rejection hurts. It makes you want to turn on your heels and run far away from the voice over industry.

It’s all part of success, though. No one ever succeeds without being rejected. Some of the best voice over talents in the industry have been rejected more times than they can count.

What makes them different from many others who have dealt with the same? They didn’t give up.

Rejection is not a reason to give up. It’s a reason to keep going!

If you can always think, "Every rejection is one step closer to an acceptance,” you will make it far in your voice over career.

HOW TO BOUNCE BACK

Of course, even when you know that rejection is part of your biz, it’s not going to sting any less when it happens.

To be able to bounce back from that rejection, work on your self-talk and reactions. The following are some things you can do the next time you are rejected.

1. Stop Blaming Yourself

It’s not always because you’re not a good voice talent. Sometimes people decide not to hire someone for a reason you'll never understand. Other times, there’s just someone who is better for the project.

Sure, you can be hard on yourself and fret that other people are better than you, but that’s just going to hurt you and your business.

The more you allow rejection to hurt you, the slower you’ll be able to bounce back. When you take too long to apply, market, and seek out new opportunities, the higher the chances are that you’re missing out on something that is perfect for you.

To speed up rejection recovery, tell yourself that it’s not YOU.

If you feel you could have done better, think about what that is, and remember it for the next time.

There will always be a next time as long as you don’t give up.

2. Redirect Your Emotions

If you get mad when you face rejection, use that anger to do more for your business.

Be determined to get another opportunity and when you find it, do everything possible to give it your best shot.

Use those strong emotions to make you strong. That strength will help you land more gigs, if you channel it in the right direction.

3. Accept Criticism


The voice over industry is a critical business. People will tell you what they don't like. Sometimes they are right in what they say about your skills, but other times, they don’t know what they are talking about.

Take the good criticism and use it to improve your voice over skills. Leave the criticism you know isn’t right because it’s not going to help you.

Always think about what is going to help you. This is your business and you know it better than anyone else. Believe that, and you’ll improve your voice over and business skills with every rejection.

4. Just Cry It Out

There’s no harm in crying. Crying is cathartic. You need to release those emotions to be able to move on sometimes.

Go into the bathroom, your bedroom, or your car and give yourself time to let it all out. Cry, scream, and kick. As long as you don’t hurt yourself or others, it will make you feel so much better.

You can then pull yourself together and get on with your day.

Everyone handles rejection differently. Find what works for you and use it to positively affect your business.

You can’t get away from rejection in the voice over business, but you can use it to help you succeed.
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ABOUT VICTORIA

With more than 15 years of experience in TV production and broadcasting, Victoria DeAnda-Rich has also earned the same length of experience as a professional voice over talent in Spanish. Her expertise in hosting live shows and programs throughout her career as Executive Producer and Creative Services Director for KFWD TV-52 and as Director/Lead Producer for Telemundo Media has effectively translated into a distinctive talent for audio recording and voice artistry. Over the years, she has provided hundreds of successful recordings for the Telemundo Group and other clients, from start-up businesses to the more established, high-profile brands in various industries.


Web: www.victoriavoicetalent.com
Email: vdeandarich@gmail.com

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Comments (3)
BP Smyth
2/25/2015 at 9:13 PM
Great article, Victoria!! Rejection is a major part of this fickle business. Voice-Over is an "opinion only" endeavor. If a person is sensitive to criticism they need not get involved. Every time I'm rejected, I simply say to myself, "Oh well, nice try, next," and promptly forget about it. The word "Next" is my favorite word in this nutty business. If a person wants to succeed at anything, they must never give up.
Jake Weil
2/25/2015 at 11:23 AM
This is great advice! As a new VO in the industry, this certainly helps a lot. Rejection stinks but whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Jim Conlan
2/25/2015 at 10:39 AM
Thanks, Victoria. I had a two-hanky moment. Seriously, though, I do have one thought to add: being rejected may actually be evidence of your uniqueness. Your particular style or brand may not have been what the producer was looking for... but maybe the opposite will be true next time: they will prefer your brand over someone else's. So, for the sake of your marketing plan - and your sanity - stick to your guns.
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