The Job Hunting Dumps!

After many years of studying (and partying!), you’ve finally graduated. Now, what do you do once the celebrations fade away? It’s time for all of your hard work to finally pay off, as you settle down to find a worthwhile career.
People say, “As long as you’re sending out cover letters and resumes, you’ll get interviews.” The truth is maybe in the tightest of job markets, or maybe if you are only applying to specific positions for which you are perfectly qualified, will this kind of passive job-search strategy produce any job interviews. Jobseekers today must be proactive in their job search. You must follow-up every job lead including calling employers and request an interview. If you are under-qualified for a position or changing careers, request an interview anyway. You may not be qualified for that specific position, but the employer may have other openings (or know of other openings).
Anyone who tells that job hunting is easy, and not frustrating at all is obviously lying to you. I spent 15 post-graduation months looking for a job in a practically closed marketing and public relations field. I tried every proactive strategy I can think of to get the interview and was fortunate to get at least 3-4 interviews per month, but still could not land that perfect job. Month after month, interview after interview I heard, “Sorry, our hiring objectives have changed”, or “ We hired someone with more experience.” I began to wonder, why am I even trying to go on these interviews.
My girlfriend at that time, was also having problems finding a job, but in the technology sector. As the months went by with both of us not having job, we became more and more depressed, and tensions rose. Instead of enjoying our moments together like we used to, we began to fight all the time over the littlest of things.
As tensions rose and feelings of depression emerged, my good performance on interviews began to dwindle away, and not so slightly. If it weren’t for my close relationships with my parents and my karate instructor who was my mentor, and my ability to talk to them about anything, I’d still be here today without a job. They helped me reverse my attitude and find the positive light again. They helped me realize that I have accomplished so much in my life, and I have no reason to doubt myself. It was a long, bumpy road, but I finally reached the point where I’m happy, and so will you. Learn from my mistakes, keep your head up high, and never doubt your abilities, your knowledge and your skills. You may not get the job you want right away, but don’t let that interfere with future opportunities. Remember, when one door closes, another door opens.