Last November, I shared that I had been laid off from my job. Here we are, 365+ days later, and here are my takeaways after one really long, tough year.
LinkedIn is like a bad ex-boyfriend.
I should stay away, but it’s like a drug. Here’s why:
- The entire platform makes me feel badly about myself. Just when I’m feeling accomplished, LI lets me know I’m not good enough.
- It gets my hopes up, then disappoints me. “You’d be a top applicant for this role!” Then: crickets.
- It ghosts you. Literally, it’s filled with ghost jobs. Positions that have been open for 5+ months. Or reposted after 769 applications. Fake jobs. Required job posts to satisfy HR when they already have someone they are going to hire.
My favorite LinkedIn story is when the company that laid me off posted the same job I had just done at the company. LinkedIn’s assessment of a job I literally did:
Medium! WTAF?
I developed a severe case of Imposter Syndrome.
I worked in advertising and marketing for 30 years. Started as a writer and worked my way up through promotions. I mentored young writers and led teams. I won awards! Maybe I wasn’t that good at my job after all?
Perhaps I know too much about one specific thing, when I should know a little about a lot? It seems every content writer position reads like 17 jobs all rolled into one (accompanied by one low salary).
I love to write. I completed a Graduate Program in writing at Harvard! I’ve written my whole life. Maybe I’m a shitty writer after all?
I question every life choice I have made up to this point.
Looking back (and forward), should I have chosen a completely different profession? One where there are not literally 10,000 of me searching for employment? Am I unemployable? What am I even good at? Is planning family vacations my only skill? Am I too old to do something new? What do I even want to do?
I deciphered more of what I don’t want rather than what I DO want.
Over the last year, my priorities changed. While it was an ego punch to not be working, it was a blessing in disguise, as my family needed me and I was able to be there, at all times of the day, with no commitments getting in the way. For that, I am forever grateful.
Reading through job descriptions and ‘return to work’ mandate articles, I have determined the following:
- I want to work remotely.
- I enjoy the flexible schedule of freelance work.
- If I apply to a role that’s full time (and permanent), I must REALLY want the job.
A real life example of job hunting
Late last year, I found a job that interested me. My experience matched the qualifications. The salary was lower than I was making, but I liked the company enough to look past that. It was remote. It looked good on paper.
To protect all parties involved, we’ll call this company ABC.
Brace yourself, here are the details.
September: I find a job posting for a remote role at ABC that fits my background extremely well. It’s not an agency, it’s on the brand side (score!). I have a friend who works at this company! (double score! this is now the only way you will ever, ever hear about your resume). She gives me her employee referral link, and I apply.
October: Receive an email from the recruiting team asking me to share times that work for my calendar to set up a panel interview with five team members. This feels fast, I haven’t even spoken to the recruiters yet. But it was a referral, so LFG! This is scheduled for the following week.
Interview in late October: Video interview with the team lead and four team members. Great interview, no weird silences, good vibes. Crushed the Q&A.
Next day: I send thank you emails to the team. (Oh, no one sends thank you emails anymore? Call me old fashioned.)
Two weeks later: I receive an email from the recruiting team (same two people, again) in regards to the position for which I just interviewed, with a list of questions to answer.
These questions included:
• Where do I live?
• Have I ever worked at ABC before?
• What are my salary expectations?
• Why do I want to work there?
These all felt like questions I should have received prior to my interview but, whatever. I answer them and hit SEND.
Next day: I receive an email from the recruiting team asking me for my availability for a panel interview with the team. The interview is set up with the exact same five people I had met with two weeks earlier. I let the recruiters know this, and they cancel the interview. (I imagine their internal Slack messages said something like, “Oh shit, this girl already interviewed.”
Two weeks later: I am told that I’m moving to the next round of the interview process and would be meeting with the Director of the department. (Finally!) I schedule the interview for the very next day to accommodate the Director’s travel schedule the following week.
Next day (still November!): I interview with the Director and it goes very well. I walk her through examples in my portfolio. I drop my knowledge about retail and concepting and big ideas. She is impressed.
A week later (December): I send a follow up email to the recruiting team to understand where they are in the process, and what next steps. might be. No response. 🦗
Next day: my friend who works at ABC sends a note to the recruiting team following up about me. 🦗🦗🦗
Two weeks later: I receive a form letter in the middle of the night telling me that I would not be moving forward in the interview process for this position at ABC. No detail, no personalization, just a form email saying to keep my profile updated, and offering me career guidance. (Um, I’d like to offer some career guidance to the Abbott and Costello recruiting team who can’t keep their candidates straight).
Next day: I emailed the recruiters I had been working with to thank them for the opportunity (because you have to sell your soul in order to get a job these days – “thanks for not knowing who I am and being bad at your job!”). I also ask for feedback to help me in my job search. No response yet, but it’s only been 11 months, so there’s still time.
I’m not mad I didn’t get the job, I’m extremely disheartened by the entire process.
First, I was a referral from a current employee, which should count for something. Someone was vouching for me!
Second, the recruiters didn’t realize they were asking a candidate who already interviewed questions so they could set up an interview? Really???
Third, the lack of communication and the poor-taste form rejection email after two rounds of interviews was very disappointing.
If this is what it’s like getting a job these days, I’m not sure I want one!
