A Kick up the Backside

Last week I logged on to a website to check the status of a job application, and discovered that I had not been invited for interview. The sting of rejection was immediate. And it was swiftly followed by surprise and then self-doubt.

This was a job where I was convinced that I was a shoo-in to get past the first hurdle. The skills required were an almost exact match for my experience. My resume required minimal tweaking to make me look like the ideal candidate. Or so I had thought.

It's unusual these days to find out that an interview is not on the cards, as so many companies simply never contact you either way. But this was a particularly comprehensive online system, which indicated where your application stood in their hiring process. Better yet, it invited you to call the human resources team if you wanted to know why you had not made the grade. Naturally, I called immediately. Of the sixteen hiring criteria they had created, they had selected two which I did not meet. Fair dinkums to them: they were indeed the only two things which I could not claim to have done. But it's a tough hiring market indeed when you meet fourteen out of sixteen criteria, and still don't make it to interview!

Once I got over my anger / outrage / self-pity, I realized that this experience was a good one to have early on in my search. It will help me guard against complacency, and make me zero in on making each cover letter truly compelling. The truth is, that since I first started reaching out to prospective employers in early July, I have been insulated by the comforting bubble (and regular paycheck) provided by my current employer. At the end of this week, both the comfort zone, and (sadly) the direct deposit, will cease.

On the plus side, I have already been asked to consider two consulting gigs once I get to California, with the prospect of a third. And this evening, I am heading over to my attorney to sign a contract for sale on my little Brooklyn house. So with any luck, assuming that the sale of the house goes through as planned, and that at least one of the consulting opportunities pans out, I should be able to keep the wolf from the door.

And, at the risk of ending on a somewhat karmic note, I'm a big believer that you get the job you deserve, which can only mean that there is something infinitely more interesting, better paying and more prestigious out there which has my name on it!