A woman named Sara Reed has been navigating the job market after being laid off earlier this year. She has now taken to LinkedIn to share her experience and revealed that despite applying to numerous roles, giving interviews, and even clearing assessments, she has often been ghosted. The entire journey, she says, has left her “humbled”.
“I’ve been humbled. I was laid off at the beginning of the year, and I am still looking for full-time work. I’ve applied to countless places, I’ve interviewed, I’ve taken tests, I’ve been ghosted several times,” she wrote on LinkedIn. In the following lines, she listed four lessons.
‘Imposter syndrome hits hard’
She admits that when one has been searching for a job for a long time and doesn’t find a lead, they may start feeling like there’s “something wrong” with them. This self-doubt, often called imposter syndrome, can be overwhelming. However, in reality, they could be the most “skilled” person struggling to land a job in the brutal market.
“Impostor syndrome hits hard when you’re looking for work. It’s easy to fall into a mindset that there’s something ‘wrong’ with you,” she wrote, before adding, “But in reality, the market is brutal and you could be the most skilled and experienced person and still struggle to find work.”
‘Eye on the why’
Her second takeaway is the importance of staying connected to one’s purpose. She advises people to keep an “eye on the why” and how it reflects their “authentic self”. “Keep your eye on the why. I try to always remind myself why I want to do the work I do and how it connects with my authentic self.”
She stressed, “It helps to stay the course when things feel hopeless.”
‘Say yes to everything’
Reed believes that one shouldn’t simply pass on the interview for a job they think is not the perfect fit for themselves. Rather, they should appear for tests and interviews, which will give them a sense of progress that they are on the “right track”.
“Say yes to everything. Not the perfect fit? Still apply. Get a request for an interview that doesn’t necessarily fit your desires? Do the interview. Forward movement, even if it isn’t ‘perfect’ helps to feel like you’re on the right track,” read the third key lesson from her LinkedIn post.
‘It’s ok to be funemployed’
The fourth and the last part she shared is that one shouldn’t guilt-trip themselves for not having a job and enjoying life. According to her own admission, she takes off from job hunting just to meet her friends and family. “This stuff is hard and self-compassion goes a long way.”
“It’s ok to be funemployed,” she said, adding, “Don’t feel guilty leaning into the perks of being unemployed. I love taking an afternoon off from job hunting to see friends, enjoy the sunshine, or just read a good book.”
She ended her post saying that she got people’s backs who have been searching for a job, yet also asking if anyone is hiring. “We’re all in this together,” she expressed.
Quite motivating, right? Well, people on LinkedIn find it motivating too, and consequently, it has nearly 4,000 reactions and a flurry of comments.
“This job market is really an opportunity to lean in to your resilience. I’d like to lean a bit less, thanks,” said one LinkedIn user.
Another said that Reed summarised her feelings: “This is spot on! Thanks for sharing exactly what I have been going through & trying to do for 10 months!”
“This is why it is hard to leave a job. I have been looking to leave my current job, but the search for over a year has yielded interviews, but nothing solid. It is so frustrating,” commented a third.