Job hunting right now is …. draining, to put it lightly and soul-crushing, to put it accurately.
The scores of resumes submitted that never get a response at all.
The handful of applications which, maybe after 6-8 weeks, get a canned email response “your qualifications do not match those needed for this position.” For roles that you are perfectly qualified for. Overqualified for.
It seems the only way to even talk to someone is to know an employee at the company who can refer you.
But even that doesn’t seem to go very far.
It’s all just so emotionally exhausting.
Having to psych yourself up enough for a job in order to have the motivation to apply for it, only to hear radio silence.
Imagining yourself in a role so that you can answer that go-to interview question, “why are you interested in the opportunity?” And then going through that disappointment of not getting the job.
It’s hard not to feel like something is wrong with you.
Of course, there are tons of people dealing with this. In my own network alone, I’ve seen many other people posting about the exact same experiences and obstacles.
But that comfort of knowing you’re not alone is short-lived. Because you’re NOT ALONE. The fact that there are so many people job-hunting is a big part of the problem. There are a flood of candidates. And not enough jobs. These people are your competition.
I recently went through another one of these peaks and valleys on this seemingly never-ending roller coaster.
This time, I actually landed an interview. And naturally, in preparation for the interview, I put a lot of thought into how I would tackle the role. I started imagining myself in the role. And I felt like the conversation went well.
And then it came. “We are going to move forward with other candidates.” Not just a “no”, but a templated “no”. Ouch. It stings a little more when they don’t even take the time to write a personalized response.
What followed was a feeling of utter hopelessness.
It all just seems like a waste of time and energy when you apply to so much and get no response. Or get a templated response.
But what else are you supposed to do?
Something about missing 100% of shots you don’t take.
I raced back to the LinkedIn job board, my mind racing. Ok, what to apply to next? Why I even enjoy doing any of these jobs? What am I most likely to get a response to?
But the words went blurry. I couldn’t focus.
I went into the bathroom and cried.
Then, I went for a five-mile walk to get some fresh air and clear my mind.
And I came home and applied to two more jobs that day. And the next day. And probably many days to come.
Not that I necessarily have any more hope but because … what else are you supposed to do?
