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The absolute worst things about job hunting

The worst things about job hunting are...

Thanks to a lot of hard work and a healthy dose of good luck, I’ve never really personally struggled with unemployment. Being a firsthand witness to a long job hunt, though, has definitely got me sympathising. These are the worst things about job hunting, as observed by me.

Please call in order for us to reject you

I can’t believe there are people/companies that will leave a message asking you to call back – only for them to tell you that you were unsuccessful, once you return the call. Just leave a voicemail, or send an email. Seriously.

Radio silence after in-person interviews

There’s a special place in hell for those who don’t get back to you after interviews. I get that some industries don’t screen much and often interview a lot of people in person, but I do think it’s a courtesy once you’ve brought someone in. (Personally I don’t think rejections are needed if you don’t get to interview stage, and actually prefer it this way, but I know a lot of people disagree. As a job hunter, I don’t expect any acknowledgement of receipt, just like I wouldn’t if I was a PR rep pitching a journalist – editors are busy and we’ll ignore pitches we’re not interested in.)

Super scammy sales roles

There are always SO many entry-level sales/promotion type roles promising a fast track to success for hard workers. The thing is, these sales roles are usually pretty dodgy – shady insurance companies and the like – and often just door to door marketing. If it sounds too good to be true…

The weird thing about job hunting is that you’ve got to totally amp yourself up for interviews and really commit to imagining yourself in a particular job. Then you’ve got to completely disengage and do your best to forget about it, since odds are high you won’t make it any further.

What are your pet peeves about job hunting?

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14 thoughts on “The absolute worst things about job hunting

  • Reply Revanche October 2, 2014 at 08:54

    Agreed – I think I’ve had all of these experiences over months and months of job hunting. (At that, I’d still consider myself lucky in the overall work/job experience.)
    In all my years so far, I’ve only ever gotten ONE unadvertised job through networking; I suspect more and more of the good jobs are going to be filled that way or already are and it irritates me that I’m going to have to network waaaay more to secure my next job.

  • Reply Kassandra October 2, 2014 at 09:43

    I haven’t had to go through a traditional job search in years but I still scour the job ads once in a blue moon to see what employers are asking for – just in case I ever need to go back working for a company. I do agree that once you pass an interview, the least a company can do is send a standard refusal e-mail if you don’t get selected for the position.

  • Reply Ciel Belle October 2, 2014 at 10:14

    Totally been there and I agree it sucks! Eventually you’ll get the hang of the postings online and see which one is legitimate or not.

  • Reply Funny about Money October 2, 2014 at 10:43

    1) Age discriminatioin
    2) The whole faceless electronic thing

    Hate it hate it hate it

  • Reply krantcents October 2, 2014 at 11:27

    I agree job hunting is similar to auditions or worse. The reality is all of us goes through it at one time or another. One way to avoid most of the process is to network. Networking puts you head and shoulders above the rest and cuts down the worse parts of job hunting.

  • Reply Amanda October 2, 2014 at 12:45

    Ahhhh! This is my life at the moment! I finally had an interview last week for a job I applied to back in the middle of August, and they said that they’d let us know the outcome either way… and thus far I’ve heard nothing. I jump every time I get a new email, in a mild panic that this is my rejection email… but also jump any time I get a text message as my one reference said she’d let me know if/as soon as they contacted her. It’s not a fun way to live, let me tell you!
    The other thing that I really hate is how crappy the job market is where I live. I know it’s a trade off to have affordable housing and cost of living, but those things don’t matter if you don’t have a job.

    • Reply eemusings October 2, 2014 at 18:20

      Ohh yeah. I love big cities and everything about them. I love MY city. I love my job. I accept this comes at a cost. I *might* be better off financially in a cheaper city but wouldn’t have as awesome of a job and would be a lot more screwed if I were ever to be unemployed.

  • Reply Brandy October 2, 2014 at 13:32

    As a former recruiter, I understand your frustration with having to call back for a rejection. It’s a waste of time. Personally, I would hope a candidate wouldn’t answer so I *could* just leave a message lol

  • Reply Ashley October 2, 2014 at 20:43

    Ugh, jobhunting sucks! My partner and I have just returned to NZ and are on full-on jobhunting mode. Not getting back to someone after an interview is just plain rude. I also hate when after the interview they give you no timeframe in which to expect an answer.

    My partner’s job search is even worse. He’s Spanish and looking for pretty much anything so has had interviews with dodgy sales places and unpaid trials in bars & restaurants with no real promise of a job at the end.

  • Reply Newlyweds on a Budget October 3, 2014 at 08:33

    I once applied for a job and had TWO interviews. I didn’t hear back after a few days, so I called to find the status and was told it was still being reviewed. After another few weeks, I saw they re-posted the job! Like seriously? You couldn’t just let me know I didn’t get the job? I’m not five– I can handle rejection! I was so pissed, but in the end it worked out great bc I landed a job with WAY better benefits and pay.

  • Reply Karen October 6, 2014 at 02:00

    I have too many to count! Lol. The one thing I hate about job hunting is that it’s a full-time job itself. You spend so much time searching for jobs, tweaking your resume and/or cover letter for that job, applying for jobs, prepping for interviews and going to interviews.

    I went for a job interview that was in the same city as my bf at the time (we had a long-distance relationship). I felt I rocked the interview and they called me back to tell me I didn’t get the job. What irked me the most was that they said I was one of their top two choices and it was so close, but they chose the other person because he/she had more experience.

    I guess I wasn’t meant to be with that bf, because I didn’t end up getting the job and I couldn’t do long distance anymore.

    But here’s that classic question:How can you get the experience if you don’t get the job in the first place? Arrrrggghhh…

  • Reply Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank October 8, 2014 at 23:35

    I couldn’t agree more. My worst experience is that I went through a series of interviews and reached FI. Then, I was informed that I did great, got positive feedback, and would receive an email for JO. I had a good feeling. But after a while, I received their email that they would reconsider my application. What? 🙁 false hope

  • Reply Gabriela Keeton October 10, 2014 at 06:50

    Love this post. Everything you said was spot on. I hate when a potential employer doesn’t call when they say they will call even if you don’t get the position. Even a quick e-mail is appreciated.

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