It was a year ago that I decided to take a break from job hunting. In the previous two years I had applied for two dozen jobs and, despite some positive feedback, I was not offered a position anywhere. It was hard to be rejected over and over again.
So I took myself off the market. Except for an opening a friend let me know about, I did not apply for a job last year. And, no, I was not invited to interview for that position.
This week I decided to get back in the hunt.
There is a statewide job board for non-profits that I check periodically. Many of the openings are for people who know how to raise money. That's not my area.
This week I spotted a listing for a program director for a hunger prevention program in a town just fifteen miles from me. It's part-time. The best part is that all the job responsibilities are things that I know how to do, and most are tasks that I've actually done in the past.
This evening I emailed a cover letter and my resume to the person indicated in the listing. I'd like to say that I think I have a chance, but I have learned that I have no way of knowing what will happen.
What I say in my cover letter matters. The form and content of my resume matters. However, what matters most is how my letter and resume appeal to the person in charge of the job search. I got my very first interview for a teaching position because the principal's wife graduated from the same college I did. You never know what will strike someone about what you write or how you write it that makes them want to meet you in an interview.
Then if I get an interview, there is no way to know what will work for me or against me. How should I dress? Is my age a factor? Will I have enough experience? Or too much? Will my education be an asset or a disadvantage? Other than what I wear, I have little influence over the first impression I will make.
The interview itself is not straightforward, either. Yes, there are standard questions and answers where information is requested and given. But there is another layer of interaction during an interview that can be as important: how will I fit with the other employees and stakeholders of the organization? Do I match their version of who they hope to hire?
I have been hired for teaching positions because the principal liked me, we literally talked during the interview like we already worked together. That has happened more than once, and while it didn't guarantee that the job would be any easier, it was nice to get along with my boss.
So it's hard to know how my application will strike someone and what to expect if I am asked to interview. I know this intellectually.
It's still hard to put myself back out there and possibly face rejection. It's particularly hard when I apply for a position that fits what I see myself doing.
I still see myself working somewhere. I dream about it. I daydream about it. I want to work with people who care about the same things I do. I still want this after three and a half years of not being able to find it.
So I need to try again. It's time to get back in the hunt.
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6 comments:
I think that's wonderful that you're back in the hunt. I know how hard it is to find something, I've been there, and it's so hard not to take it personally or get down on yourself. But your attitude is just wonderful! And it is so true, that you just never know what might strike someone's fancy, and whether something within what you say will strike theirs! That position sounds just perfect. GOod luck and hang in there!
There are so many similarities in what you say about cover letters and interviews with query letters and manuscript submissions. The query tries to make that all important connection, and engage interest in the work too, enough for a literary agent to want to read more. Then the layers of questions and requirements in your interviews parallel the questions asked of a requested manuscript, beyond just the level of writing proficiency. So very many factors get figured into the process, sometimes it just feels like the luck of the draw.
Oh, good luck Sharon! I hope you nail this and that it's exactly the position you've been hoping for and you get paid enough to make up for the two year hiatus.
The whole rejection, age factor, wage ceiling, thing is what keeps me from exploring the job market a bit more.
Appealing to the heavens never hurts. *smile*
Congratulations on taking the leap to put yourself back "in the hunt."
It was refreshing to read that you mailed your resume. So many postings ask for electronic submissions only. As a fellow 50-something who still values letter writing and snail mail communication, I view this as a good sign!
Sending good thoughts for the recent application and the continuation of your journey to be bold and true and unafraid.
Nothing ventured - nothing gained.
Good for you - take nothing personally. When my youngest granduated from college and left our home - I was in my 50's.
I lucked up and had 4 different positions until I built some homes starting at age 60.
I send you blessings on this venture.
Sharon, it took tremendous courage first to look, then to send a letter of inquiry, and now to sit and wait patiently in the mystery. I just want to acknowledge this, I see you stepping out and taking a risk. No matter how this unfolds; an invitation for an interview, an interview, a job offer or none of the above...YOU are sticking to your growth trajectory, and I am proud of you my friend. I hope you are feeling proud and strong in between moments of wonder, concern, worry about the "what ifs" that you cannot control.
Yay you!!!
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