Job Search Hell.
Job after job seems the same… I hit ‘apply’, filling in the same required sections for each one, attaching my resume, submit. Applying to over one hundred positions, monotony is setting in. After one week I have found a new hatred for job searching. Waking up this morning, I rushed around the apartment getting ready for a job interview. Getting out of my pajamas, I dusted off my business attire, fixed my hair, and applied a small touch of makeup. After the interview was complete, I peeled off my nice clothes, hung them back up in the corner of my closet, and put my pajamas back on. All that effort for 30 minutes of casual conversation, asking questions to seem inquisitive, and faking a smile whenever I felt it was necessary.
Browsing through the job postings on LinkedIn, I can see how many people have already applied. As if the process isn’t brutal enough…. Putting the number of applicants is like putting calories on a fast food menu, no one wants to know. Who was the genius that said, “Hey! We should tell customers how many calories are in the chicken mcnugget meal!”? If that were my business pitch and I learned that particular meal had over 1,000 calories, I would probably withdraw my ‘bright idea’. Many of the job postings I see have over 200 applicants after being posted for 24 hours. Jeepers! Can’t wait to throw my resume in that pile! *Heavy sarcasm oozing through your screen*
On the bright side, after just one week, I have gotten calls back and interviews scheduled within the field I want to be in. I can’t complain too much since it seems to be moving forward at the very least. My hopes are high and after one week, I have covered my bases in terms of applications. I’m going for quantity since the job market is all over the place right now. Half of the market is hiring like crazy while the other half is laying people off left and right. At this point, I can’t tell which way is up… Companies like Groupon, Netflix, Peloton… Thriving businesses, announcing massive layoffs. Thousands of people are out of work with no warning at all.
To the people that reached out this past week, I couldn’t be more thankful. Sometimes all it takes is a brief text from a friend or family member to lift my spirits and bring a smile to my face. The older I get, the more I have come to realize how small my network has gotten. Friends are drifting, people are busier than ever, and everyone has their own weight to carry but I truly appreciate each person that took the time to reach out to me. It means the world.
I will push through this phase of my career and continue to work as hard as I can to find something that interests me. I refuse to settle for anything less than extraordinary because I know my worth. If for some reason I don’t land on my feet at the end of the day, I know there will always be one person to catch me before I hit the ground. My life partner. My husband. My biggest cheerleader. My hype man. My safety net. He’s the reason I hold myself to such a high standard. When I think I’m worth silver, he reminds me I’m a diamond in the rough. I’m the needle in the haystack. Unique in every way, worth every penny.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
– Winston Churchill
