Why Job Hunting Is Just Like Dating (spoiler: it's rough)

Hi Everyone!

I've been re-inspired to get back to Steeming a bit after @blewitt came back from Steemfest in Krakow, Poland! Maybe now he'll get off my d!@% about writing (it's only been six months, geesh).

Here we go...

In mid-October I received an invite, with no context, from my manager to join an afternoon call so I instant messaged her letting her know I was nervous. The company had been restructuring and reducing staff repeatedly which had resulted in MANY layoffs. Her response let me know that I was on the right track, I was being unexpectedly laid off from my job where I had been a Senior Executive Assistant for 8 1/2 years. Not only was I surprised, I was extremely worried since @blewitt and I had just bought a new home earlier this year. I allowed myself a short-lived meltdown and immediately called Chris to vent and update him. Luckily, I was given a generous severance package and benefits through February 2019, and after a pep talk from Chris, I realized that this was actually a great opportunity to move onto something else. I loved the company and my colleagues, but I had been feeling stagnant and unchallenged - I wanted to be making a difference and to feel excited about what I was doing again, and this was the kick in the butt I needed to make the change!

I was feeling excited now and made a post to Facebook letting friends know if they knew of any open positions, I was the girl for the job.

I updated my resume, created accounts on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, etc. and updated my resume/cover letter. Amazing things started to happen; friends and former colleagues reached out, I was inundated with calls, texts and even skill endorsements. I decided to look for positions within companies that were outside of finance, where I had been, and received a couple of referrals to positions at places doing amazing things, like creating biofabrics and improving air quality which both benefit the environment. I knew I could afford to be pickier with the companies I was looking at and focused on startups and family owned businesses.

So here we are, it's been a month to the day and I can tell you that job hunting is a full-time job in itself! I have had several phone interviews and a few in-person interviews as well as taken a number of personality and skill assessments. Let me tell about the crash course I've been on.

Take the time to properly apply to a ton of places. Much like online dating where you have created a generic greeting that you can send to your matches, you need to have your cover letter on point. If you want responses, you need to be sure you tailor each greeting to include something authentic about that company so that it's clear you've looked at the company profile & role description. Take note: no one wants a bunch of generic messages that are obviously sent to as many potential dates or hookups as possible - they want personal experiences, just like a company wants a potential employee to really understand what they are looking for. Before I met Chris, let me tell you guys, I received a plethora of generic messages from men, as most women online probably do, who clearly did not read my dating profile. While often entertaining, if nothing personal was addressed to me specifically I didn't reply BUT if it was clear someone took the time to see my interests and wants, I replied to every. single. one. In a sea of hundreds of applicants, be the one who stands out.

Know your worth. Sit down and research what your role is worth to most companies in your area. Were you overpaid, underpaid, fairly compensated? Make sure you are ready to negotiate to get what you deserve; most open positions should list salary as DOE: dependent on experience. When I was online dating as a single mom of two, I could often tell when guys just wanted a woman to take care of their kids for them instead of an equal partner. You shouldn’t be just a warm body to fill a role in a relationship or at a job. I’ve been working since I was in high school and I’ll be working for another 30 years until retirement (I try not to think about how long that is) – I want to do something I’m proud of and that inspires me. Your partner should do the same for you.

Study Up. Before every interview, you should have researched that company and really understand what they do. You certainly don’t have to be an expert, but you should have a good grasp of what is done there and where you will fit in. I went on a date once with a guy who didn’t know I had two kids, he thought I only had one. I mentioned that I had two children on my dating profile very clearly because that’s a big deal, not everyone wants to get involved with someone who already has children. So, he showed me he didn’t really read my profile and his lack of preparation to our date was disappointing. On the flipside, your potential employer should have reviewed your resume and cover letter before entering the interview.

Be prepared. Have a couple of copies of your resume, cover letter and references with you. I have handed out my resume to my interviewer each time as they didn’t have a copy with them (probably why they need an assistant 😉) and I use a copy as a reference myself. Towards the end of each interview, you will always be asked if you have questions so dude, ASK QUESTIONS! This is your opportunity to engage your interviewer about their company and show them that you can think outside of the box. Have you ever gone out with someone who didn’t ask anything of interest about you? How long have you been single or how many dates have you been on should not be the only two things asked – lame. Here are some questions you can ask to get gather information about the company but also to grab their attention:

-What is the office culture like?
-How many employees are employed in this office?
-How do managers encourage camaraderie and collaboration?
-How do managers provide feedback to their employees?
-What is the most important thing I could accomplish in my first 60 days here?

Get excited! If you aren’t excited about your interview, what are you even doing? Each call for an opportunity is a chance to envision yourself in that role, commuting, telecommuting, and all the fun stuff that goes with the daily grind. Best of all, each interview is time to really hone your interview skills; refine your answers and your questions, showcase that personality! Have you ever gone on a date with someone who had the personality of a toaster? You were forced to make all the conversation and try to draw out their personality? It’s the worst. Don’t be a toaster.

Dating is hard, and I never want to have to go through that process again, the exact same could be said for job hunting. I assume most of you receive dating tips and talk about your experiences with friends or family; not only to vent, but to garner insights. Do the same for job hunting, let your professional friends review and share your resume as well as give you search tips. Also, like some may use Google to find witty anecdotes before a date, go online and look for resume tips, especially if you aren’t using a professional resume writer to help you out.

Breakups suck, so does losing your job. Can I borrow $5 until payday?