Lately, during my job search, I’ve been experiencing the harshness of feeling rejected. Now it’s not because I’m actually being rejected by people, systems or companies but that to me their responses (or lack thereof) feels like rejection to me. Here are some examples of recent events that have made me feel rejected:
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I meet someone in-person who works for a company I’d love to work for so I send a connection request on LinkedIn . . . and they never accept my connection request
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I interview with my former employer because they know me & love me (I think) . . . but they can’t create a position for me
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I call a staffing agency to request a resume critique because they are known for being extra helpful . . . and they never return my call
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I speak to someone who works for a company on my target list and they tell me they don’t have any marketing positions . . . one day later I see their company advertising a marketing position that I want to apply for and I notice it was posted five days ago?!?!
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I apply for the perfect job for me based on my experience and skill set . . . and I hear nothing but I can’t follow-up with the hiring manager because my LinkedIn connection request to them is still “pending”
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Are these things only happening to me or are they happening during your job search too?
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So you can see why I’ve been feeling rejected lately. But how do I overcome this feeling and move forward with my job search with a smile on my face and a positive attitude in my mind?
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I remind myself that I’m the unicorn that everyone wants to hire but nobody knows exists. Clearly, even some of the people I’ve met in-person still don’t know I’m the unicorn!
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Why do I feel like a unicorn in a field of horses? I started my career as a civil engineer and practiced for seven years, obtaining the coveted Professional Engineer’s license before taking a break to have two children. When my youngest was one-year-old I accidentally became an entrepreneur by starting my own frugal lifestyle blog (Freebies 4 Mom). I fell in love with marketing and was able to support my family even while my husband was unemployed for two years.
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But the small business owner role was not a long-term career solution for me. I could make money, but I could not obtain good health insurance for my family. And mentally I found that blogging wasn’t challenging enough for me. I wanted to blog as a hobby or side hustle while I had a real job outside of the home. So I got a marketing job managing influencer marketing campaigns. I loved the work, loved the benefits and loved the challenge. In fact, I loved my new job so much that I decided I needed to formalize my career change from civil engineering to marketing by getting a Master’s degree in Marketing.
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I found a university in Texas that was featured as the most affordable Master’s in Science Marketing degree in the United States. I discovered that it was easier to apply and get accepted than I thought it would be and started my first class in June of 2018. At the end of June, my dream job came to an abrupt end when the parent company decided to close our division and I was laid off. Now I was unemployed and would be looking for a job while attending graduate school part-time.
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Quickly I discovered that this would be the most challenging job search of my entire life. Gone were the days where I could apply for a job advertised in the newspaper located across the country and land the job without knowing anyone who worked there. I was learning that job hunting had turned into a numbers game. You are one of hundreds or thousands of people applying for one open position. You must network to try to find a job through someone you know, and even then the job hunting process is brutal.
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So I just have to remind myself that I’m a unicorn and that eventually I will be discovered for all of my magnificence and land the perfect job.
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Time to spill your guts – how do you deal with the feeling of rejection in your job search?
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