Stage 1 · Lesson 4 of 6
The CV nobody shows you
Every CV and LinkedIn profile is a highlight reel. Behind each one are rejected applications, failed courses, abandoned projects and offers that never came. In 2016 Johannes Haushofer, then a professor at Princeton, published a "CV of failures" listing the degree programmes, jobs, awards and papers he was rejected from, and it spread because people were surprised that successful people fail often.
You rarely see this side of seniors, teachers or the classmate who seems to win everything. Ask a senior you trust how many places rejected them before their first job; the number is usually higher than you expect.
Common trapcomparing your full story, failures included, with other people's edited version.
A question to check yourself and an AI practice session come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- VideoFreeWhy We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid (Guy Winch, TEDxLinnaeusUniversity)
Guy Winch (TEDxLinnaeusUniversity)
Why rejection hurts and how to treat emotional injuries as seriously as a cut
- VideoFreeThe Power of Vulnerability (Brené Brown, TEDxHouston)
Brené Brown (TEDxHouston)
Why shame grows in silence, and why naming a setback weakens it
Keep handy
Also worth your time
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).