The Hunt
What hunt am I talking about? The employment hunt. The pursuit of a job. The path to not starving and quivering from under the shadow that is cast by the immense mountain of debt that you have accrued over your 4 ~ 5 ~ 6+ years of college and “bettering” yourself. I have opinions about the college system, but that’s for another post. Let’s focus on… the HUNT!
The job hunt is a rollercoaster, man. You will go through every feeling on the emotional spectrum. I’ve been on my hunt for a fulltime position for only a couple of months, but the process seems much more concentrated and overwhelming when you are trying to focus on your last semester of classes, staying on track to graduate (I graduate in December), AND trying to find the first job that will determine the starting point for the rest of your life. Dude. No pressure right?
LETS GOOOOOOO
I started job search feeling invincible. My internship was amazing. I came out with great experience and a patent pending app. I was on top of the world, and any company would be lucky to have me! Yeah. Calm down, man. I hit the ground running as soon as the semester started. I was building my LinkedIn and strengthening my personal “brand” and growing my network. I reached out to numerous recruiters and people working in the positions that I want to interview for. I get this massive dopamine hit, that kept hitting. I was consistently being approached by recruiters from all sorts of companies. I felt like the hottest commodity on the market. Bam, bam, bam. I went from phone call to phone call, interview to interview, career fair to career fair. People loved me. I thoroughly enjoyed every conversation and opportunity that I was approached with. I went through every kind of interview you could imagine. I was driving in and out of Atlanta two or three times a week for several weeks doing onsite interviews, and going through several technical and programming interviews over the phone with a couple of different opportunities on the west coast (I thought I was about to be a Cali boy).
THE LULL
Then, the lull came. All the exciting stuff that came with getting interviews, and feeling like I could pick and choose whatever position I wanted, name my price, and I’d get it. Naïve much? Now I’m sitting over here, twiddling my thumbs in class everyday, anxiously checking my phone for calls and emails, awaiting something… ANYTHING. I’m getting into my own head now. I’m not going to get a single offer.. I’m never going to be able to pay back my student loans.. I’ll be a disappointment to my family. Good god, you’re so dramatic, man. So, I continued to look for jobs. I kept applying to keep getting the feeling that I was doing something. It kept me content for the time being. Then… THEY happened.
OH NO no no no no
The rejections.. I knew they’d come, they always do. They come quick and strong, with their full force and might. THEY’RE CALLING IN REINFORCEMENTS, FALL BACK, FALL BACK! The first few didn’t feel too bad. I knew they’d occur, but I always thought “hey there are more where that came from” or, “oh, it just wasn’t the right place for me” or, “fine, I didn’t want it anyways”. It became quickly unbearable. I started to feel dumb. I felt like I’d wasted the last four (and a half) years of my life for nothing. Something you know going into the hunt is that the rejections come first. It doesn’t always have to do with your talents or skills. Sometimes it’s just bad timing, poor culture fit, or something has changed internally. I recovered from the onslaught of no, no, no, no and gathered as much information as I could. I reached out to the recruiters that sent me the rejection emails. I wasn’t angry, and I understand that it isn’t personal. The recruiters want to help you. Their success, is your success. So, I asked them what I could do differently and what skills am I lacking that held me back. To all of those that got back to me on those, THANK YOU. The advice I had received was priceless. So I brushed myself off, and went back to it.
WOOOO, but..
Finally. I started getting good news. My opportunities have narrowed, either by myself or by the opportunities themselves, feelsbadman. I finally received my first offer, then the next, and the next, etc. But, something odd happened. Something that surprised everyone. My family, friends, and fiancé were plain out baffled. I even caught myself off-guard. I wasn’t happy. As if I was in shock. I got the offers that I wanted. They gave me the culture, the pay, the respect that I was looking for. I started realizing that… I was missing the hunt. The exhilaration and unexpectedness that came with it. I could be and do anything during the hunt. I got caught up in it, and was stuck in this funk. Eventually it started setting in and I began feeling excited about it. I viewed it initially as the finish line. That was wrong. Getting your first job is just the beginning. We still have so much to be, do, and become. It just took me a little while to understand that. Now it’s my turn to give out rejections. No malicious intent of course. It was just time for me to choose, what the best path was for me.. And I had to choose what I wanted to be.. I got offers to be a software engineer (in a couple of different focuses and companies), a software consultant (also in a couple of different focuses. Some allowing me to program more than others), and a product owner. All incredible opportunities, but all taking me on very different paths.
Which one? Which one? Which one?
I chose, software engineering consultancy. It allows me to do everything that I love. I get to work with all the newest tech and programming tactics, and I get to work and interact with so many amazing and smart people. I’ve been interested in this position since I spoke with my recruiter February 2016 at the computer science career fair. I was interested in an internship, but they weren’t offering those at that time. My recruiter and I stayed in touch and we reconnected during my final semester of classes and got the ball rolling again. When recruiters say to stay in touch, then STAY IN TOUCH. They mean it. I did my research and was very pleased with everything that I found. It was important to me to work in a place where everyone loves what they do, and that there is good and open leadership from the top down. The CEO has been named Glassdoor’s highest rated CEO in 2017, and on the Comparably’s best CEO’s list. That matters to me, even as an entry level employee. I know that the leadership is good, and that would most likely permutate down the ranks. I am excited, and I am ready. Also, don’t forget to give credit where credit is due and reach out to those that have helped you throughout your hunt. My recruiter did a fantastic job, and I felt it necessary to reach out to her and show my gratitude. My friends and family have believed in me even when I waivered. My colleagues and friends at school were right there in the trenches with me. We traded war stories at the tables of Jittery Joe’s over steaming hot cups of whatever was going to keep us awake. We confided in each-other, and raised each-other up. When possible, we reached back to pull each-other into a potential opportunity. Above all else, remember that the greatest and most valuable currency is the value that you provide and instill in others.
