:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Thursday, February 21, 2008 ::

:: Job Search: Following Up ::

I'm gonna stop numbering the "Job Search" title because it's getting demoralizing.

One of the most frustrating parts of this job search was the number interviews that seem like they went well, which ended with the interviewer telling me something like, "I'll call you soon to let you know what's going on" or "I'll call you to let you know when you can start training." Only to have those be dead ends.

If you remember my post from Day 2, I seemed optimistic at that time because out of the ten or so places I went to, two managers out of the three or four I talked to gave me those replies. Both were duds. Since then, I've had three other interviews. Two of them were the same result. One of them was the hotel and the fact that they at least got back to me, even to let me know I've been rejected, was at least a relief.

I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It's the way I've always been. If something goes wrong, my first thought goes to what I could have done differently. I wrote yesterday "I have a good work history, my references are solid, I dressed fairly professionally, I possess a resume and a coverletter (and my own pen), I have a firm handshake, I maintain eye contact during interviews, and I don't do drugs. But that's not enough."

It bothers me that I'm getting this type of flaky behavior from supervisors. They give me the impression that I'm hired; yet I'm not. It's either that or they just don't have the gall to let me know they'd rather go with someone else.

Maybe I should have sent a thank you note... hmm... maybe, but I don't think that would be a determining factor. Did they found out I got fired from my last job? Could be, but there's been a few people that got fired for showing up drunk or high on drugs, or getting into shouting matches with managers, things far more egregious than anything I did, that found jobs elsewhere.

Perhaps it's my follow-up calls? I called back to each one, trying to seem ambitious and eager for having done so, but now I'm wondering if I maybe came off as desperate. But wouldn't you want to err on the side of wanting to work? I don't know. I thought I was doing this properly and professionally but I'm missing something.

Labels: anger, frustration, job search, please just shoot me

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 9:45 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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