Looking for a job is a full-time job these days.
It becomes very frustrating. Job descriptions today are long, very detailed, they really want a lot of qualifications and competencies for each position. You scout the internet, see a position that you feel you may fit, and you start the work. Modifying the CV to have the key words. Then you move on to the motivation letter that accompanies your CV. You may even work a little on your public profiles, Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook to make sure all is coherent. This will take 2–3 hours, correcting grammar and making sure everything is OK. Finally, you are happy:
CLICK SEND.
Swoosch its gone.
Silence
You check that the email has arrived: ‘thank you for your application for the position … our Talent acquisition team is currently reviewing your qualifications and experiences…’
Now what…
Nothing, start again
Sometimes you get the second email several weeks later, if not months later – This is usually the case in Switzerland. A refusal … what did I apply for? And not only is there disappointment, but you need to check whom did I write to and why I have been refused. Not much feed back is given. And do not dare to try to find out! A recruitment firm was quite angry when I managed to get past the secretarial blockage and speak to him! ‘Do you think I have time to speak to those that I refuse, I get hundreds of applications, thank you good day!’
And so the process starts again.
So you structure your search, you target the companies you want, you look for contacts…
And start again
And again
And again
I once applied for a position where the job description was 1310 words long, 4 pages for a chief of staff. I applied via Linkedin. Nothing, but I saw that 865 candidates applied. No reply obviously! One month later I see the same ad with a headhunting recruitment firm. Again I reply amongst 645 other candidates. Again nothing. I finally decide to do some real research. I obtain the CEO personal address. Yes when one is responsible for a company one can find a lot of information. I slipped in my CV and handwritten letter into his letterbox. BINGO, I get a mail back from him. ‘Yes,’ I say to myself, I have got through the first barrier. I finally get to have a (only phone) meeting with HR. But I soon realise that it is clear that my candidacy is not what they want. Too old? Too experienced? Too expensive (we never spoke of any pretensions) I understand that they want a junior 2–3 years experience candidate to ‘advise the CEO!’ from a consulting firm. I was never even given the chance to truly present myself, I had been put into a category just by age.
So how does one continue to keep the motivation?
Make your own path, keep up and you will achieve what you have set out to attain! It’s called Resilience.