Today I got some feedback for a job I felt that I had pretty much nailed. I didn't get it after jumping through 3/4 interview hoops. (THREE OUT OF FOUR. I know).
"We thought you were polite, well mannered, kind, friendly, enthusiastic, a pleasure to work with, an asset to be proud of for any team, passionate about our company/brand/identity, intelligent and an excellent communicator. But you didn't tell us how you'd created real change."
Fair enough. I bombed on one of the pre-prepared interview questions. And why is that? Because I have never created 'real' change. I'm 23. I'm not Mark Zuckerburg. Yes, I worked on the Living Wage Campaign for the cleaners at the Minsitry of Justice. Yes, I co-ordinated fundraising for Burmese refugees in Thai refugee camps, but no, none of these things created 'real, everlasting change'.
Anyway, for those of you who are applying to jobs right now or are also unemployed (ahem, freelancing), I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.
It is an insane achievement to even be invited to interview right now. You could have the bestest CV in the whole wide world, and there's still a fat chance it would just be deleted as it entered the inbox of your recruiter. Job hunting today feels completely arbitrary.
But of course, if you're going through the motions of trying to find a job, you have to try to maintain this positive happy facade. Friends and relatives don't understand.
"Oh, you have so much experience, I'm sure you'll get a job in no time." This comment makes my blood boil. I know that. But yet I'm still job-less. Having experience in 2013 means nothing. Having 'enthusiasm' and 'intelligence' means nothing.
Job hunting is a process of luck. You can market yourself out of the window but essentially, it feels pretty random to me.
Did I mention that I got rejected from a job and the feedback was as follows: You misplaced a comma.
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