Rejection therapy is just like ignoring the cause, but leaving the cause itself unattended. So, it does more injury than helps. Man should focus instead of reasoning that "what makes that flinch? what is the reason for it?", becouse there is still that cause. Just ignoring the flinch (or even rejection programming) is like kicking the big rock again with bare foot.
It can also be that man is on the totally wrong place or applying on a wrong basis, wrong work... etc.
Also my experience is that in this phase -- writing CV and cover letter, is more or less "beauty contest" for Jack-of-all-trades which has absolutely nothing to do with personality or skills itself if the listener is not in front of You and you have your programs with You on that moment to show. So far my best chances to get work as always been 9 of 10 choices a miss and lost energy. Just making a visit was always the quickest way and through mutual friends.
I recommend to all those programmers and scripters et al read that ESR page ("How To Become A Hacker").
You can do much, but the more skills and powers you have, then the bigger responsibility you have to make choice -- to whom you will work for? With great skills its no point to work in commercial software industry or in military assignments -- becouse the first is fixing problem over again and over, second job is destruction. Logically taking -- if the engineer education is only to build bombs then I wish that it should not exist at all, it should be used instead to more peaceful projects and programs.
"2. No problem should ever have to be solved twice." Remember that rule. But thats exactly what computer and commercial software industry does -- fixes the same problem more than twice. In other words - your energy are wasted, gentlemen. Just to go to grab those jobs are quite blind and yes, meaningless. Do you really want to do something which is meant just for sale and that they will be outdated after some years? The only one who gets satisfaction is only sales department, but no customer, and neither You. There are many other ways to get food and cover while still feeling that you make something which is meaningful.
Many perhaps will go to this job becouse being blinded by salary number but missing the whole point -- those men who work on this area arent motivated only by salary, but becouse its fun. Salary numbers are high only becouse there arent so much specialists on the market. As there will be more who can do the required job, salaries will go low. Also in this field self-learning is most important thing.
There are several negative factors about commercial programming jobs: debuging (90% of the time goes for debuging instead of developing new features), missing or too old documentation and lots of PHBs. I remember that my energy was quite wasted becouse I was put on someones project without documentation to fix bugs. And all that low software was becouse of very low programming moral.
Also, when I program or build something then I want to make it last for years, be compatible, and have small requirements. These were not in company's interests, they set very strict limits.
Well, I had once such workplace where I worked 15 hours in a day and just becouse I liked. But not anymore.
Also 20 years ago programming was considered as a form of art, but now what a heck if I cant even choose how I will place the table to feel more comfortable... I quit. That company as all other similar ones dont exist anymore in such form or any longer.
(Welcome, just Your posts made me to grab a pen and register here) crappy jobs, yes. Avoid those where your work will be trashed after some months - those are most meaningless ones. Also those works which will ripoff people are no way to go.
If you have great skills then you should focus on more peaceful projects and avoid government (especially military) and commercial sector areas, yes. :)
Well, when reading your other posts here about programming work, it seems that You are dealing on a wrong work if the recovering from the work takes too much time and is not at all fun. Special warning sign is that if you feel it meaningless, not developing, boring, non-inspiring. Its time to take a pause and think -- what I really need just now? But what makes me happy? Pehraps You were distracted in the beginning what made You to apply for the job?