People often ask me how I got my job at Google, or how I got an internship as a freshman. The answer is simple - I applied to the job. I made a goal and pursued it.
When people ask me how I did it, wistfully proclaiming "I wish I could do that too", I always ask: "Well, did you apply?". A staggering number of people respond "no". This never ceases to blow my mind - how can you possibly get accepted if you never even apply?!
This brings me to the point I want to make today. If you don't apply, you are rejecting yourself. Don't do this! Never kill your dream before it is even born. Those that do not make an effort to pursue an opportunity are eliminating themselves from consideration before the competition has even begun.
What do you have to lose? True, it takes some time to fill out an application. However, that is time well spent, time that you take to delve into yourself and examine your strengths and weaknesses, time you take thinking about how you present yourself to this world.
If you get a call for an interview, even better! You should accept no matter what - regardless of the outcome, you will learn something in the processes, and if nothing else, you will polish your interview skills.
For those of you afraid of rejection, I ask you this: What is it that makes you afraid? Are you letting other people judge you? Then don't. Are you basing your self worth on what some recruiter said? Stop. Are you afraid of "failure"? Redefine failure.
I urge you to pursue your goals, actively pursue them. Don't just talk about dreams and goals. Have a plan, and have the energy, willpower, and motivation to pursue it. The first step of success is showing up. The rest will follow.
At the end of the day, even if you “failed”, look back on your actions and celebrate what you learned. There is never a reason to regret the past - learn what you can and move on. Success will come.