I've now been applying to full-time jobs for nine months, and I'm still looking. What have I learned?
1. The numbers.
Jobs Applied to: 112
Immediate Rejections: 66
Jobs Interviewed for: 12
Final Interviews: 3
Jobs Hired for: 0
Anecdotally, I seem to be hearing back from a lot more jobs than other people on the market—only 34 jobs ghosted me. This might be because I'm mostly applying to academic administrative jobs, which may be less overwhelmed than other corporate positions at the moment.
The 10% return in interviews is also a good sign, though I'm not making it to as many final interview rounds as I would like. (I'm pretty sure why, and I'm re-tailoring my application materials this week to fill in some gaps.)
The biggest surprise for me in the process thus far is that the actual number of jobs I applied to is so low. I had hoped to apply to closer to 400 by this point. However, it's quite hard right now to find jobs that meet the following criteria: 1) I have a non-zero chance of being interviewed for, 2) I'd probably take the job if offered, and 3) I'd have enough money to move to the area.
Getting in at "entry level" jobs even with a PhD, an internship, and freelance experience is very difficult right now, and there are fewer entry level jobs out there than I expected.
2. The grind.
If this were 2021, I'd almost certainly have a job by now.
Psychologically, the applications into nowhere are fairly draining. But the worst thing is getting invested in a job, realizing it would be a good fit, and then getting rejected at the final stage. Hope can be more dangerous than despair. Just when you think the grind is about to end, you realize you have another 3-4 months ahead of you.
The good thing is that the PhD trains you how to respond to failure productively and keep persevering. And, if you take on enough side jobs, you can still afford little treats like cheddar rounds from Pal's or a diet A&W root beer that help keep you going day to day.
Personally, I keep pushing through via pure spite, because gosh darn it I am going to find the good life no matter how long it takes (not that a job is necessarily the path to the good life, but financial stability is probably a precondition).
The emotional ups and downs are by and far the most challenging aspects of the job market, and they require a significant amount of labor to be managed well.
3. Finding hope?
There are at least two different senses of hope: A) the belief that something good is likely to/will happen, and B) the ongoing determination to find a way forward and keep working towards a good outcome even if it seems unlikely.
The first can be incredibly helpful, but it does let you down significantly when things outside of your control don't work out. The second keeps you on task, which is helpful for managing failure, but it doesn't promise that your labors will pay off.
I suspect that both kinds of hope are needed at different moments to sustain a job search over the long term. Even though I'm more practiced at the latter than the former, at some level you have to believe that your efforts will pay off in the end.
Faith is also important. Again, there are many different senses of faith, but the one I'm using here is the sense that I can trust other people to support me in my job search and help me achieve my goals. I've been grateful to have financial, emotional, and job preparation support from multiple friends, family, and community members.
4. The path forward.
I'm at a bit of a fork in the road. I've been primarily targeting marketing/communications/writing jobs and public-facing ethics and philosophy jobs in academic administration. I've just finished the PhD in philosophy, and it's seeming less and less likely that I'll be able to land in an administrative job that's related to public philosophy education.
The broader job market also continues to be a heaping pile of trash smothered in sludge and set on fire. My options are fairly limited, and I just need to land a job in a career path that is sustainable: that I like well enough, that pays well enough, and that offers decent enough growth over time.
I'm going to continue targeting academic administrative jobs as they tend to value the PhD, but I'm open to a variety of positions so long as I am actually hireable and I would be sufficiently interested in the work itself. If you happen to know of any jobs that I would be a great fit for, please reach out!
Thanks again to everyone who reads this blog and who has offered their support in the past. I'm going to keep networking and building my portfolio, and continue hoping (in both senses) that something good turns up soon. Onwards and upwards!
Photo Credit: Aram Ramazyan
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