People told me I would easily get a job out of college. 3.6 GPA. Strong internship experiences. I was an entrepreneur. I had started a restaurant before. I represented my country in international basketball tournaments and served in the military as an infantry officer. I was energetic, passionate, and ready to get my first professional experience out of college. Despite all that, I still had my fair share of rejected job applications before landing my first job.
When I began job hunting, I prepared myself. I didn't want to take things for granted. I applied for a wide range of jobs, from hourly positions to full-time professional opportunities, from working in operations to doing finance. I worked on a comprehensive Excel sheet to document every single job I applied for, tracking the status of my job application to the date I applied online, and whether my job application was rejected or accepted. I put in tens of hours every week while I was finishing up my last couple of months at college and was determined to get a job quickly after school. Starting from a couple of job applications at the start of the year, it quickly piled up to 10s and then to 100s of job applications from Jamba Juice to Walmart to the local restaurant franchise and Disney.
However, after I had submitted my first few applications, I didn't hear back for weeks. I knew it was 2009, and there was a financial crisis, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I felt sick and worried. I had prepared my best application, checked my resume countless times, and started to interview prep with my friends. I would go on to not even receive an email confirmation for over two months. And then, I began receiving rejected job applications. But I didn't give up.
After three months of applying, I finally got called for my first interview—it was with a global retail company. I was excited! I prepared myself to the best of my abilities by practicing with friends and conducting research online. I showed up 15 minutes early in my best suit and tie. However, the interview didn't go smoothly. And I attribute that to the limited communication from the point of submitting the application to scheduling the interview. I didn't have opportunities to ask questions about the role or the interview process, and I was ultimately unprepared for the interview.
This would go on to happen several times. And it made me realize that modern hiring and recruitment systems needed some change. There needed to be a better way to engage applicants or to connect with them. (This experience was one of the motivating factors for me to start Workstream 10 years later!)
However, I didn't give up. I continued to do what I knew best—to follow up with companies, network, and demonstrate my skills. I called companies and enquired about opportunities. I reached out to seniors and alumni from schools that I hoped could open doors. I also continued to keep track of various opportunities I applied for, and six months later, I realized I had applied to over 300 jobs. It was a humbling experience, but after more than six months of applying to jobs, I finally received my first job offer! I was over the moon. In reflecting on the path from 300 applications, several rejected job applications, and my first job offer, I've identified a few insights for fellow job seekers.
Follow up after your interview
It's essential to follow up after each job interview with a thank you email to the interviewer(s). Be sure to share some specific anecdotes from the interview so your email doesn't seem generic. This is helpful to build rapport and leave a strong impression with the hiring committee. It's even better if you're able to share stories or experiences that the interviewer shared with you.
Connect with alumni, friends, and people in your network
People want to be helpful! Reach out to people in your network with a clear ask, whether that be guidance or a short informational interview. If not, ask specific questions about a role or a career path via email. Look to alumni at your school or people whom you share experiences or interests with like a non-profit or professional club.
Do research on the company beforehand
It always helps to know about a company's brand, culture, and history. Read about them online or speak to people who have worked there before. It's helpful to know the background of a company, and whether you're aligned to their mission, vision, and culture.
Share your story
Stories are a great way to engage with people and help them learn more about you. I love the STAR technique of Scenario, Task, Action, Result. In the STAR technique, you clearly set out the backdrop of the story and then share with the other party the clear task and action to achieve a desired outcome.
Dress well and smile more
People are always more open to connecting with people who are warm and friendly. It also helps to dress in a neat and tidy way, as first impressions are very important. Surveys have shared that people make a first impression within the first couple of seconds.
Finally, I learned that applying for jobs takes persistence and hard work. It also takes a lot of following up with people and putting your best foot forward.
Best of luck!
