Thriving 30, Volume 16: What Happens When You Start a New Chapter
It feels good to be wanted. I am finally employed! I am excited to start with a company that recognizes my skills, ambition and character. Never have I ever gone through a hiring process so fast, it was bit overwhelming. There were moments I had to pinch myself to make sure I was breathing, to make sure all of these events were actually happening to me. To me!!! Part of me I was thinking I am such a lucky girl, the other part where, I think to myself, NO! This is not luck! Good things do happen to good people, and it is not because of luck or karma. I work hard, I am valued, I am a rock star!
Some things I learned for the 3 months that I was unemployed:
1) Rejection sucks. There will be companies that you want so bad, you feel that it is the right fit, you will over-prepare for the interview and psyche yourself. And at the end since you are not the best candidate, the recruiter doesn’t mind saying no to you. I’ve gotten countless rejection letters. I’ve also gotten to final stages of the interview process for them to say no. At that moment, I felt confident, but what exactly went wrong? And the answer is nothing! You have to remember that it is nothing personal. Maybe after the interview process it makes the hiring team re-think what kind of responsibilities they want out of this role. Maybe there are other candidates that is more suited for the role. Maybe your salary requirements are out of the their budget, and they can find someone with the same background at a cheaper salary range. Don’t lose hope, don’t lose motivation. The answer is never a no. It is either 1) Yes. 2) Not yet, or 3) Some thing better is coming. Be patient to yourself. Whine for a bit and get back on that grind of applying. You will land a job!
2) Don’t be afraid to ask for help. One thing that I had to let go of was my fear of asking for help. It was mixture between pride and I didn’t want to put someone in an uncomfortable position of choosing to help me or not. But it is the complete opposite; people are willing and able to help you. From references to connecting with other people. Kindness exists beyond expecting in anything in return. I am so thankful for my group of friends who have referred me and wrote me recommendations on LinkedIn. For that, I am forever thankful. You know who you are! It is in my nature to never forget those who’ve been there for me in my low points. Help doesn’t need to come from references, help can also come from friends that can emotional support you this process. People surprise you, count on it!
3) Patience, don’t say yes to your first offer. When I was interviewing at Google, I definitely over-prepared. I studied all their products, I met up with my old bosses so they coach me on ways to communicate to a global company and their struggles. I had a flow diagram of different subgroups of questions that a hiring manager would ask. And through that stress, a friend told me, don’t put Google on a pedestal; they would be lucky to have me. And that is the mindset you should have every time you interview. That gave me so much confidence. After that intense and benchmark of an interview process, I can confidently walk into an interview and be able to effectively communicate my skills, my character and my ambition. I ended up not landing that Google position. I was also rejected at a company that I felt I was a perfect match for. All their struggles were similar to what I was project managing 2 years ago. I asked recruiter for feedback, she said she is looking for the best candidate, and although I meet the requirements, she wants to find someone else and respectfully rejected me. Three weeks later, I get a phone call from her extending an offer. I rejected her 6 figure salary, and said I am not interested in the position. Here I am… 3 months later… I have a job. I had a phone screen on Wednesday, phone interview on Thursday, and the onsite on Friday. I got home that Friday evening and got an offer. From the words of my jimjams, Jimmy Dileo, “Time to be a rockstar somewhere else!”