Job Rejection Letter Leaves Applicants With Hopeful Reminders But Not Everyone Agrees With The Approach
fizkes / Shutterstock A company was scrutinized for how it dealt with rejection, proving that kindness is not always appreciated. This company went a step above, garnering some positive and some negative reactions. It left applicants with hopeful reminders, but people had mixed responses.
Getting a rejection letter can be a crushing feeling. It’s never an easy email to read, whether it's being rejected from your dream college or your dream job. So, many companies and universities choose the wording carefully to let you down as easily as possible.
A job applicant received a rejection letter that included examples of successful people who overcame rejection.
The anonymous job applicant posted a screenshot of the email on Reddit’s “r/antiwork,” a subreddit described as a place “for those who want to end work…and want personal help with their own jobs/work-related struggles.” They sarcastically captioned it “rather inspiring,” saying that it’s “full of hope.”
Reddit
The rejection came from the software company DoorLoop. It started with the standard messages thanking the applicant for their time and applauding their expertise, but clarifying that they were not getting the job. “Although it was not an easy decision for us as we were impressed by your experience, we decided to go in another direction for this role,” the letter read.
However, the company followed up with something unique: a few examples of famous people who failed and overcame their setbacks. First, it gave a famous anecdote from one of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry. “Walt Disney was fired because his editor said he ‘lacked imagination and had no good ideas,’” the email reads. Before finding success, Walt Disney wrote for the Kansas City Star newspaper before his firing in 1919. He founded the beloved entertainment company just four years later.
The company also gave an example of a more recent mogul who overcame failure to achieve success.
“Elon Musk was rejected from a number of emerging tech companies, including Netscape,” it mentioned. Netscape was an internet browser in the 1990s, but soon lost its prowess after Internet Explorer and others came along.
Before wishing the applicant good luck, the software company explained why it shared these iconic people’s failures. “All of them turn setbacks into success stories. We try to do the same at DoorLoop and encourage you to do the same,” it wrote.
Though a job offer would’ve probably been even better, this rejection letter was at least emotive instead of the repetitive ones job seekers are accustomed to, and that's if they even get a formal rejection at all.
Even though some people critiqued the letter, others felt it wasn’t mean-spirited.
“I kinda appreciate that message. They understand success and know you will find it elsewhere,” one person replied to the post. “I actually have a little bit of respect for them because of this,” another added. Many commented that it was better to get that than “radio silence” when a company doesn’t move forward with an applicant.
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Others critiqued their logic, which would make for a hilarious response. The applicant could write back that if the company believes in all these examples, why would it risk not hiring them, as they could be the next Michael Jordan? The company was clearly trying to be inspiring, but its attempt doesn't make much sense.
Regardless of how the rejection letter is perceived, job hunting can feel impossible these days. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that roughly 5.8 million people were unemployed but looking for work in January 2026. Perhaps the person who wrote the letter recognized this and wanted to encourage the applicant not to give up.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango, living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.
