The Anxiety of Radio Silence and The Keyword Game

Being in the job market is stressful. There are companies to research, job listings to comb through, applications to fill out, people to contact for follow-ups or more information about the company, emails to set up interviews, phone interviews, in-person interviews, and thank you notes to fill out. Along with that, there are resumes for various positions in the career track of interest to tweak, cover letters to write, and practice for interviews which may or may not ever happen.

The worst is, after all that work, all that effort, to be met with radio silence. Apply with your best foot forward, with what you think is your strongest resume and cover letter, send the follow-up inquiry a couple days later, and yet...nothing. No response. The anxiety of what wasn’t good enough swiftly follows if you can’t shake it off and go to the next job.

I keep thinking of search engine optimization in relation to job application systems, fueled by keywords, which HR departments use to “help” them whittle down which resumes they actually look through to determine who gets an interview. As far as I understand it, have all the specific keywords HR has programmed in for that particular job, and the resume is sent to the department for consideration. Don’t have enough keywords, and your resume could be categorized as unfit for the position and HR doesn’t even see it.

I have filled out hundreds of job applications so far, and I’ve had over a dozen interviews, either in person or via phone. Some of these interviews went well (though not well enough to be hired), some interviews did not, but I was happy for the experience they gave me all the same. The anxiety I can’t shake, the thing that makes me wonder, late at night as I research yet another company, is this: if it wasn’t for the keyword system that HR departments have adopted, how many more interviews would I have been offered? Followed immediately by: if it wasn’t for this system, would I have gotten a job already?

Then the last, most pressing question: if that is the game HR managers are playing via keyword system, what is the best way to game that system to my advantage? After all, if I’m going to have to play by these rules, then I should figure out a way to consistently win and acquire an interview. The ultimate win state is to acquire an interview that lands me full-time employment.

Let the games begin.

-A.M.W.

Working on Self-Improvement

Well, it's New Year's Eve Day, so now is the most appropriate time to think about what has happened this year, as well as ways in which I want to change or improve myself.

This year was, overall, not a good one. Too much stress, not enough writing, and I'm still unemployed at the end of the year. So for 2020, I'm going to sign up for grant writing classes. This will help me add some extra credentials to my resume, and help me stretch out a bit as a writer. I want to put in the time to help myself become better as a writer overall, and acquire more tips and tricks to write more efficiently and succinctly for whichever business I am working for in the future.

I understand that I am very far from perfect, but I also understand that I can be better with some effort. Every year I try to make one positive change to my life; either improving something in my house that will improve my quality of life, or learning something that will help me be a better person overall. Hopefully these writing courses will help me in a positive direction, both as a writer and in acquiring a job.

Here's to the end of 2019, and the beginning of 2020. I wish everybody well, and that your fortune does nothing but improve.

-A.M.W.

Imitation As A Form Of Learning

Back in the day, when the world was young and so was I, I took a variety of writing courses. One of the ones that I learned the most from was a creative writing course run by a local author via my community college. Her writing exercises were always good, because she asked us to challenge ourselves by grabbing a random author, reading some short stories of theirs, and then writing a short story that imitates their writing style.

It was because of this course that I was able to pick up writing styles quickly and efficiently. I think it also helped when it came to picking up computer platforms; if you're looking on how best to adapt your thinking on how to communicate, you're also looking on how best to use the tools given to you to accomplish that communication.

When I feel stuck in a rut, I go back to this writing exercise. I will pick a book at random off my bookcase (I will roll dice to get a random shelf number/book number), read it enough to get a handle on the style, and then write a short story in that style. It helps me think outside of my usual box, and oftentimes it helps me figure out a problem I'm facing in my own writing.

I have used this trick when it comes to technical writing and proposal writing too. If I am unsure about how best to put together a document, I can search for something in the same genre, and then imitate that format and style of writing to put together my document. Continual learning and ability to adapt is key to stay relevant in the current workforce, especially when it comes to content creation.

So the next time you're feeling stuck, pick up a book! It may be the creative bump you need to get out of that rut.

-A.M.W.

Time Well Spent?

I've been a flurry of activity in the past several weeks. In an effort not to be bogged down with a lot of nonsense in my house, I've gone through and sorted out clothes and linens, trinkets and tools. I've decided what to keep, what to donate, and what is beyond saving and really ought to go into the trash, and acted accordingly. My house is as decluttered as I've had it in a long, long time. It feels good.

It also coincides with my parents visiting me; they will be here in a couple days, to help me celebrate my birthday. I am turning 37, and while it doesn't feel any different, I have to pause and take stock of what I've done so far and wonder: was it time well spent?

I could argue either way about it, honestly. Did I need to play all those video games when I could have been learning to code? Certainly not. Did I need to play all those video games to help me unwind from whatever stress was knotting my shoulders and keeping me from sleep? Absolutely yes.

This could go on, back and forth on so many other topics throughout my life, until my head is dizzy with it. How do we measure if our time was well spent? Is it the accomplishments, accolades, and achievements peppered throughout our lives? Is it how many people like us at any given moment? I'm not sure there is any sort of metric we could all agree on, which really might be for the best.

I'm going to step away from my computer after I finish posting this, and do the last bit of cleaning that needs doing before my parents get here. Then, after dinner, I'm going to keep crocheting the blanket I'm close to finishing for my niece for Christmas. Time well spent, indeed.

A.M.W.

Moving as an Act of Moving On

I read an article stating that people were moving less for work. I understand that; moving is expensive, not many companies will help you with expenses to move, and the vast majority of office work can be done online now so moving seems unnecessary. Let's face it: you don't really need to move if it's not for work, or to go to college.

However, there are times when moving seems to be performative, not just moving to a new job in a new place, but to a new stage of your life. Sometimes you need that; sometimes you need to literally move on.

As part of looking for work and narrowing down what career path I want, I've also had to take a look at which companies make use of that service and where lots of them are located relatively close to each other. Short answer: tech-based companies and Not Anywhere Near Fort Collins. So moving has definitely been on my mind lately, and I don't mind the thought of it.

I do love Fort Collins, and it has been exactly what I needed as a place to live when I needed it, but I think that unless I get a remote job, it may be time to move.

A.M.W.