“I possess appropriate qualifications, relevant experience, exceptional skills, and would be a great asset to your organization”.
The words might not be the same, but this is pretty much the underlying message each job seeker is conveying to the ‘lords’ that have posted a job opening. After enjoying 18 months of a contractual position, I’ve begun the nerve wrecking and frustrating quest to seek employment in the “so-called” global village. Despite many heart breaks, I am able to see the lighter side of things and wanted to pen down certain occurrences each job seeker can relate to.
Matchlessness: Well you might be really good at your work, but you are not unique. While reading through the JD provided in the ad, your heart will start to beat a little faster as you would find yourself ideally suited for the job, until you read a requirement essential for that Job which you or a sane job seeker might not have even thought about. No matter how much beyond comprehension it may be, you know your application will conveniently find its way to the waste bin.
Alien – You are extra terrestrial: Then there are jobs advertised on international employment forums. I do not want to name them as I don’t want to indirectly market them (even to the 5 people who will read this blog). The JD will require for someone with diverse and international experience, and as soon as you are about to hit the apply button, a small sentence will tell you only people with certain nationalities are allowed to apply. Disqualified by fate.
Rubbing it in: So when lady luck smiles on you long enough that you pass the near impossible litmus test of the employer and are qualified enough to apply for a job, your state of euphoria is cut short by the application requirements. Gone are the days when a JD tailored CV, and a well written cover letter would be enough to catch the eye of the HR person tasked with shortlisting. Though you still need those two documents, but to win the favor of a shortlisting software, you also need to write as much 5 essays describing how you are amazing enough to be considered for this job. Spend 8 hours on the application, submit the marvel of your lexis and syntax, and wrap yourself with optimism until your mailbox receives the regret. And if you somehow do manage to read through the whole email, you would know they want you to fill a survey, I tried that once and the first question it asked me was “Why I wanted to work with their Organization”, and 5 other similar questions. They do like rubbing it in.
With all the woes of ineligibilities and rejections looming around, one turns to the people who have held the distinct honor of working with you in the past. The moment they know you are on a job hunt; they will vanish from your site as if they were your prey. Its often difficult to find even a shoulder to cry on as most of your messages will be “seen”and “read” but not “replied”. I have been going through this ordeal for almost two months now, I admit that it got me down in the beginning, but now I have started enjoying the game. I know I am not the only one, President Obama is on the same boat too.
