Almost everyone who moves to Los Angeles eventually takes an acting class, even if they don’t expect it to become a career. You’re lured in by the Hollywood sign, the possibilities, the fact that it’s actually easy to run into people at all levels of show business. It’s not uncommon to see filming taking place in random places. In my day to day life, I’ve met actors, producers, composers, animators, even corporate employees.

And so, curious to see what it was all about, I too succumbed and began taking all kinds of classes. One of the lessons learned is that when you go on an audition, you’re more likely to not get the part than to get it. That’s not to discourage anyone; that’s reality. As big as the market for entertainment is, there’s a lot of competition. You just have to keep putting yourself out there and trying, and eventually someone will hire you.

A regular job search is parallel in that there are many candidates going for the same jobs. The logistics industry has seen many mergers and acquisitions in the past decade, unfortunately resulting in countless layoffs. Thus, when a company is looking to hire, they tend to be deliberate, even picky. Your resume may be flawless, your skills current, your interview smooth and professional, but in the end they went with someone else. The reason could be anything: maybe the other candidate lives closer, making a commute easier in inclement weather; maybe the other candidate doesn’t need medical benefits; maybe the manager liked you but had a gut feeling that the fit with the company culture wasn’t quite right.

Whatever it is, it’s out of your control. As with an audition, you prepare, execute to the best of your ability, and thank them. Learn from anything you think you could have done better. Wait hopefully, but keep your options open. Then let it go. If you get the job (or part), fantastic! If not, and you don’t get a reason, move on. Don’t lose your confidence. There’s something better waiting.