Finding A Job Sucks
The Job Market Has Me Looking At Myself Like Girl! What Are You Gonna Do?
It’s been over 7 months. Seven freaking months since I’ve been unemployed. That’s impossible, you may say. Your resume is wrong. You’re going about the job search wrong. I have no issue checking myself.
I listened to every career coach and person on social media offering resume tips and hacks. I re-did my resume more times than MTV plays episodes of Ridiculousness. OK, maybe not that much, but it feels like it. My resume format is simple, with plenty of white space, at most 5 bullet points per job. There is online debate about adding a profile summary. Sometimes I add it, and times I don’t.
How are your interview skills and what questions are you asking? I’m asking all the right questions: What’s one piece of advice would you give me for this role? What was the last change the company implemented based on employee feedback? Why do you like working here? Those are just a few. Some hiring managers are very descriptive about the role and challenges, so I’ll alter my questions accordingly.
My interview skills helped me land jobs in the past. I’m personable, relaxed, and always professional. The feedback I receive after interviews is always pleasant, but no offers have been made. I’m constantly checking myself. Did I say or do something wrong? I landed the interview, they chose to talk to me, but then nothing. Rejected or ghosted.
One would think that temporary staffing agencies would rise to the occasion. After all, aren’t they meant to provide short-term employment opportunities? I was under the impression that temp agencies operated as they always had: you sign up, meet with a recruiter, and then they send you out to the assignment. This is no longer the case.
Now, the process involves applying to an agency where a recruiter interviews on the phone, then sets up another interview online. They might find potential positions for you, but instead of sending you directly to work, your profile is submitted to the client, and you must undergo another round of interviews with them directly. This begs the question: what role does the temp service actually play?
Despite numerous discussions with various staffing agency recruiters, the results have been disheartening. Either there are no available positions, or the jobs are too far away for feasible daily commuting. The competition for even basic roles — front office tasks, customer service positions, jobs for which I am overqualified — is intense. The outcome has been a steady stream of rejections.
A recruiter that I’m working with told me that it’s not me. She said it’s the job market. She said the market is really tough and that she hasn’t seen anything like this since 2008. She told me that on her side, as a recruiter roles aren’t being offered or they offering very low pay. She said that she’s working with two other candidates exactly like me. Professional, outgoing, and qualified. We are still unemployed.
A side hustle, yeah that’s the way to go. I’m inundated with social media influencers about creating a side hustle. I opened my Stan Store focused on my niche as the middle school liasion helping students, parents, and teachers navigate the middle school years. Getting the attention for buyers is a job in itself. Marketing isn’t as easy. I will say that creating my eBooks and videos on my social media account is a labor of love.
Luckily, my savings that held me up. I recently earned my Google certificate for digital marketing and ecommerce. I will repeat marketing is hard. My savings is now gone and I’m still searching for my next role. All I know is that I’m trying. Things will turn around for me, I’m optimisitc, but this job market sure makes a girl feel uncertain.
