This is a storytelling in the first person. I want to share it because I believe many, many others have similar experiences. I hope you are finding your own way…
I’ve been job searching since March 2020.
10, 20, 30, 40 applications a week and optimism to be the candidate that better matches the “requirements for the role”.
3, 5, 8 feedbacks a week from the applications “we regret that on this occasion you have not been shortlisted for this position”. “We were afraid you couldn’t cope with the volume of work we have” (this one was TOP; I have to admit).
A further 10 to 15 applications a week that don’t give feedback at all as “due the high volume of applications, if you don’t hear from us in 7 days, we may not be able to help you at this time”
The learning processes
After weeks and weeks on this journey I found myself re-starting every day, with new searches, new applications, making new contacts and trying to keep my motivation high.
I developed anxiety and insomnia, which I am learning how to deal in my favor. After this I had to force myself to slow down a bit and remember that I am only human after all.
Got invitations for job interviews and on the day of the interview suddenly got to hear that the proposed role was been filled? The strange thing about this kind of behavior from agencies is that they could tell you at least that they were investigating other candidates.
I’m getting so sad that these agencies are almost never speaking in a true word or been transparent, think they have to learn and adapt themselves more, sometimes thinking that they have to sit on the chair of the candidate and feel what he/she is feeling and experience their emotions when you receive such a demotivating message.
The issue is when you see days passing, weeks passing, and your bills growing and you have to share your time available with more job searching, networking, house, family and find some time to reset myself and be ready for the next day, that’s when I realize the power I have inside my veins.
Maybe the problem is with me. I need to improve my approach to job searching, the way I am doing things. I believe I am learning all the time, everywhere and I am learning from this experience as well. That’s for sure.
Finding my way to deal with things
Reinventing and finding new ways of doing things. This is an amazing way to fight in any crisis, I believe. Although is not as easy as it looks, it requires time, patience, focus, resilience, investment, sacrifices. It’s a massive learning and growing process.
By nature, I am a positive person. I am learning to apply this and grow my resilience. It is helping me to wake up every day, take my breakfast and start a new day with renewed energies and ready for a new journey.
I am grateful for being persistent, perseverant, hardworking, kind to myself and having the integrity to continue, happy and hopeful. And these I can’t lose. Because if I do, all will be in vain and I wouldn’t be myself in this journey.
Thank you!
