I have a lot of feelings about loyalty and being an employee these days. They don’t necessarily line up with what I always believed in the past. I still, though, want to be a good employee and valuable in a job that I perform. What does this mean? Well, most directly, it means I am not applying for jobs as a riveter at the shipyards or as a drywall hanger in Arizona in the summer. Logical things.
What it also means is that finding a job that feels suitable is more challenging. It also means that the impact of failed applications is that much more damaging. In the process that brought me to this place in this time (writing this blog for public consumption), I have come to believe I that I deserve (and have started to learn how) to advocate for myself. One would think that this would make things easier, but it does exactly the opposite. When vetting jobs for things that I believe I could hold up to, the sad reality is that my work experience frequently does not look on paper like what people think they are looking for.
How does this thought process play out in practical application?:
Me: “I am taking my shot. I understand I don’t look like what they think <job description> looks like, but I am knowledgeable and passionate about their product and possess qualities that would make me a good fit for their position if they would just talk to me…”
Employer: Thank you for applying - we are keeping applications open for another 12 days
Me: Thank you for letting me know.
Me (internally): Well, this means that they are not interested in me
Employer: We have selected our candidates for interview. They are all named Not You
Me: That is disappointing, but thank you for letting me know.
Also Me: <panics and scrambles to minimize emotional and self-worth damage>
I know that this post is short, but I think I’ve said what there is to say about this. It seemed like a good idea to split this off yesterday… and maybe it is.
In conclusion, hire me for your position. Unless it is
In a heated environment
Requires consistent physical effort
Production-based data entry
I don’t know… probably most other things
Thank you for your consideration.
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