Why no-one hires me

Dear employers,

it's me again. One of your many applicants who you most probably don't even remember. How many applications have you skimmed through this time? Was it five hundred or maybe just four?

I am sitting on the other line, waiting to hear back from you. For internships, placements and graduate jobs. These days, I avoid locations with no cellphone service, because you might call or email. So I'm waiting, even though I gave up waiting, because it's been weeks since you said I would hear back from you. So when I call you, all I get is a polite "if you haven't heard from us, please assume that you are no longer being considered as a candidate." or better yet "The position has already been filled.".

I may have applied to over 40 agencies, companies and organizations, always making you think it's this very position I want more than anything. And I'm not even lying to you. I would do anything to get this job. I would stand in the city centre with a megaphone, yelling my CV and references if it made you hire me. I am not even joking when I say I have considered doing so, because how else would I get your attention? My file is getting dusty with five hundred other CVs and cover letters of my mates, and even worse: those who graduated years ago, but still struggle finding low-paid placements. I see you fellas, and I'm sorry. But mostly, I am scared, that I will be one of you soon enough.

So, at this point, congratulations to all of my uni mates who actually managed (god knows how) to get a placement or a job!!!

Unfortunately, I am still swimming with the other fish in the tank, and let me tell you, it is well crowded down here. I remember when I got a 3-inch tattoo and was extremely careful about the place, so it wouldn't limit my job opportunities. If only you could hear me laughing out loud right now.

Dear employers, I understand that you're only picking the best of the best, that's why we're doing psychometric tests and assessment centres. I understand that it takes you time to respond because of the large number of applicants, but I would like to hear from you at all. These days students send out so many different applications, create an individual CV for each agency or company and spend hours researching you to find any connection with their application. So when the time comes and we get another rejection, we are likely to not even remember that we applied in the first place. And that's an acceptable situation, because it really gets discouraging when you thought you've sent a brilliant application for a position that seems to be created just for you and they reject you for reasons like your nationality. Yes, this is a true story.

So here I sit, writing down all of this. Thinking "what on earth am I doing wrong?" like most of my followers are. That's why I decided to publish this article: I can't be the only one.

Well, of course I am not. If I were, I wouldn't be publicly writing about how hard it is out there. And in a way that's even comforting. Knowing that other people are walking in these shoes.

Do you know what's the worst? I know I am perfectly capable of doing the job. Well, we all are. I/we would impress the hell out of you in the first two weeks, because I/we am/are the team worker, visionary and creative thinker you're looking for. You just don't know that. You can't, because you never invited me for an interview and listened to my accomplishments and my well-trained responses to your questions. These days, I don't check my makeup in the mirror at home. I check my posture, my gestures, my facial expressions, so if you call, and if you invite me for an interview, I can nail it.

But in the meantime I am here, waiting for your response which I hope will still come. Sending out a ridiculous number of (all differently designed) cover letters and CVs, hoping that the design I created to deliver myself will please and impress you.

Yours sincerely,

Marina

#marketing #marketer #BCU #studentstruggle #graduatejobs #MAPR