2020 was probably the worst year for job hunting, especially as a new grad. Being in the same job-hunting pool with many experienced talents competing for limited job opportunities has been a nightmare for me. Luckily, after 7 months of constant job hunting, I finally got an offer I am super excited about and satisfied with. I want to thank myself for always having the strength to put myself together, even facing the rejections over and over again. How to deal with failures is the most important lesson I have learned from 2020. In this article, I want to discuss my job-searching experience, hoping to give some useful advice for current stressful job-hunting candidates.
Back in August 2020, I was evacuated from my apartment due to the California wildfires. During the evacuation, I got a phone call from the company’s recruiter I had interviewed for over a month. She called to tell me I have failed the onsite interviews, and I could barely control my sadness during the phone call. I couldn’t help crying out loud when my boyfriend took me to get a boba milk tea from a city 20 minutes away, and I found the milk tea taste like crap. I can still remember the complex feelings I had back then. They include the doubts about myself because of the rejections, the emptiness I felt when the built-up hope collapsed, the fear of going through the Interview process again, and the worries about the apartment being burned down by the wildfires. It was definitely the lowest point of my 2020. Even though it took me several days, I eventually put myself together and encouraged myself to start over again. And here is some advice if you are also dealing with rejections in job searching.
Apply even during the interview process
One important lesson I have learned at my first rejection is never stopping applying for jobs. The interview process I had for that company was very long. It was the first several interviews I had, and to be better prepared, I stopped job searching and focused on reviewing interview materials. The direct result was when I got the rejection, I had no other offers or interviews with other companies, and I had to restart the job searching process from the beginning. I would have felt much better if I know that I have opportunities with other companies even though this company rejected me. Even if you get an offer, having other competing offers will give you more negotiating power. Plus, the more interviews you have, the more comfortable you are during interviews. Balancing your time for preparing for interviews and job searching is very important.
Build up resume constantly
A lot of times we would get immediate rejections or never hear back from the company. When getting rejections from the very first round too frequently, you need to double-check the match of the positions you are applying for and try to improve the potential fit between your resume and the positions. If you are applying for different positions, it is essential to tailor your resume to increase the fit. You can have several versions of your resume tailored to fit different positions you are usually applying for. Plus, hiring a professional, talking to friends in the positions you are interested in, or going to the school career center to have your resume revised if you are not getting any luck from various job applications. You may need to adjust your resume format, include more relevant skills or experience in the resume, or work on more projects to showcase your skills. You can build a portfolio page and improve your LinkedIn home page to increase the chance of getting noticed by recruiters.
Keep networking
Networking is critical in terms of getting interview chances. Since everyone is applying, it is even harder to have your resume stand out among the crowd. It is helpful to do some networking at LinkedIn or at virtual conferences and ask for referrals rather than applying directly. You can reach out to the alumni or anyone who has anything in common with you. Some will ignore or refuse, but it never hurts to reach out and ask if you phrase it politely. There are also templates online for writing cold emails, asking for referrals that can be very helpful in networking. Add networking as a part of your job searching routine if you haven’t done so.
Learn from each interview
Job searching is a valuable learning experience for me. Preparing interviews for various companies helps me review and practice hard skills in different fields. I initially started to write at Medium to share the study materials I organized preparing different interviews. I wrote a series named "Nail the data science interviews with confidence" to help me review important concepts before each interview. When I had to take a long time to search tutorials online for specific concepts, I wrote a blog post myself to organize what I have learned, hoping to benefit others with similar concerns.
Having various interviews in different stages and with different companies allowed me to practice soft skills as well. I had the chance to practice communication skills, gain some business sense, and learn how to answer questions precisely and informatively, etc. It is crucial to go over the interview by yourself or with experienced friends afterward to know what you can do better next time.
Always have faith in yourself
Job searching is full of uncertainties and stress. I remember all the mornings that started with checking emails, hoping to get contacted by recruiters, and all the sleepless nights due to anxiety. Getting hired during the pandemic is super hard, so do not beat yourself up when getting rejections. It is not because you are not good enough. It is just because it is not the right match, either for you or for the company. I remember receiving one rejection after an onsite and later found out they have been looking for a candidate for over half a year and have rejected over 14 candidates. When receiving rejections, kindly ask the company to provide some feedback if they can and talk with experienced friends for advice. If you have room to improve, for example, your coding abilities, communication skills, work on improving the hard and soft skills. Take a moment to put yourself up and encourage yourself to start over again, hoping to find a better match next time. Never doubt yourself because showing confidence is not only important during interviews but also in self-development.
Job searching is like riding an emotional roller coaster. The most important parts are learning from the mistakes and never give up. Do not take it personally when getting rejections, put yourself up and welcome the next challenges with faith in yourself.
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