Student Spotlight: How Bhawan turned job rejections into a strength

"I was almost halfway through my penultimate year with no internships and over 30 rejections."

Published on the 17 February 2026

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What happens when you’re doing everything right, but it’s still no?

Like many students at UNSW, there comes a time when we all start thinking about getting an internship and work experience before our degree comes to an end. I was no different.

From classmates, lecturers, and all over my Instagram feed, I kept hearing stories about how bad the job market is and how it continues to get worse. I knew I needed to land an internship and was willing to engage with everything available to me to reach that goal.

I followed the playbook

To achieve my aims, I did everything I could within my control. This meant:

going to every industry networking event I could find (including Co-NNECTIONS and UNSW Employability workshops);
developing my leadership skills by founding a society; and
maintaining my academic results.

I eventually heard about Co-op Internship opportunities through a Co-NNECTIONS event and applied. I prepared carefully, worked with the UNSW Employability team on my application and interview skills, completed multiple interview rounds... and was ultimately rejected at the very last stage of the recruitment process.

Myself with some members from the UNSW Social Soccer Society, which I founded.

Almost, but no

This hit me hard.

I was almost halfway through my penultimate year with no internships and over 30 rejections. It felt like time was running out. Before I knew it, I would be applying for graduate roles with no internship experience.

I tried to seek feedback. I dissected every part of my application, trying to work out what I was lacking so I could improve next time. But I received no response.

The one sentence that changed my perspective

When I spoke to Alex, the Co-NNECTIONS Program Manager, about my experience so far, she said something that stayed with me:

“Sometimes there is nothing you could have done better. Sometimes you can do everything right and still not get the outcome you want.”

In hindsight, I’m glad I was told this. At the time, though, I felt empty. I had always believed that people control everything in their lives, and that rejection must mean incompetence on their part. This challenged that belief completely.

Despite feeling discouraged and disappointed in myself, I realised the best thing I could do was keep applying.

Not applying meant a zero percent chance of getting an internship. Applying didn’t guarantee anything, but it did improve my odds.

So I applied anywhere and everywhere.

The call I wasn't expecting

Eventually, I received a call from the Co-op office. An insurance company wanted to interview me for a finance internship.

I dropped everything and locked in the earliest interview time. Long story short, I got the internship.

The relief was immediate. I started preparing for my first day.

Being an intern (finally)

Throughout the internship, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I had catch-ups with people across the firm - including the CEO and CFO - who offered insights and advice that went beyond the role itself.

I had no prior experience in insurance or finance, so naturally, it was challenging. I was stepping into a completely new world and a very complex industry.

A question I couldn't answer

During a meeting one day, my mentor asked me to explain how the company was performing.

I couldn’t answer.

Up until that point, I had been preparing financial reports and completing tasks as they were given to me. What I hadn’t done was step back and understand the firm’s broader business model or how different parts of the organisation fit together.

In that moment, I felt exposed. I questioned whether this gap reflected some deeper incompetence on my part. Should I have known the answer to that question already?

The feeling was familiar. It was the same discomfort I had experienced earlier when I was rejected at the final stage of the recruitment process: the sense that I had missed something important, without knowing when or how I was supposed to have learned it.

First day of my internship - nervous but excited!

How I see failure

By the next reporting cycle, I could answer that question and was able to do so confidently.

That experience made me think about the difference between failure at university and failure in the workplace.

At university, learning is largely static. You complete an assessment, receive a result, and move on. At a specific point in time, you either knew the answer or you didn’t.

In the workplace, learning is continuous. If you don’t know something today, you can go and learn it, come back, explain what you’ve learned, and receive feedback. That process itself demonstrates initiative, growth, and a willingness to learn. These are qualities employers genuinely value.

Not knowing something at work isn’t the same as failing, it’s often the starting point.

Does this all sound familiar to you?

If this year you find yourself in a similar position - doing everything right but not seeing the payoff - stay confident and stay persistent.

Anything worthwhile requires persistence. Stumble, stand, try again.

You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to it.

First work Christmas party as an intern!

The support that really, genuinely helped

Make sure you take advantage of programs like Co-NNECTIONS, UNSW Employability, and their career coaching services.

These opportunities allowed me to learn directly from professionals already working in the industry, while also strengthening my resume, interview skills, and understanding of how workplaces actually function before I needed to prove it.

One last thing...

Finally, just take care of yourself.

It’s easy to neglect your health during this process - something many of us, myself included, are guilty of. No opportunity is worth burning yourself out for.

You’re allowed to learn. You’re allowed to struggle. And sometimes, doing everything right is still part of the process, even when the outcome hasn’t arrived yet.

Last edited on 17 February 2026