I'm the exact same. Rejection terrifies me, not just career-wise, but romantically and when it comes to meeting people in general. I think it's down to my serious abandonment issues stemming from a bad childhood. I've had a stammer since age 11, which gets worse and more noticeable in stressful situations like interviews, or when my emotions are heightened, like when I am angry or upset about something. Apart from one permanent job, I have temped and job-hopped since my college days. I went through a whole year of one job rejection after the other in 2018. It totally destroyed my already low confidence and self-esteem and I have been too scared to attend interviews ever since. I am now a virtual recluse and have become even more unemployable. Supporting myself financially each month is hard. Feels like my life is over :-(