Managing a Growing Rejection List: Lessons for Early Career Academics

Abstract

Early career academics (ECAs) face lots of rejection from thesis chairs, appointment and promotion committees, journal editors and reviewers, funding agencies, ethical review committees and fellowship boards. This can be frustrating- therefore rejection needs to be managed. Six lessons are proposed: (1) building communities of practice, (2) professional identity and development, (3) collaborative work, (4) experiential learning, (5) mentorship/support systems, and (6) learning from peers and mentors collaboratively. This paper has implications for ECAs career management