Coping With Uncertainty On the Job Market

As of this posting, I've applied to a large number of companies with a 4% response rate and a 33% rejection rate. As you can imagine, continued rejection and uncertainty can wear you down, but you can't lose sight of what's important about this process. It may be an employer's market, but this time is for growing, understanding what you want from your next employer, and what's important in work and life. It's equally important to stay positive, which is easier said than done, I know.

Before entering the job market, I was burnt out, unhappy, and stretched thin. By all accounts, I worked for a good company, but the parts of my life I enjoyed the most weren't the work I was doing there. Being laid off ended up being a huge weight off my shoulders, but I was met with a lot of uncertainty both in terms of financial responsibility and in terms of the next steps on my journey.

While I haven't figured out what's next, I've been reminded that every interview is practice for the next one. Every question is an insight into what employers look for in an engineer and also an insight into a company's priorities, which may not be the employees. Even still, every interaction is a growth opportunity. During an interview, failure (or perceived failure) is an opportunity to research and clarify or relearn what you might have felt you missed.

As I, or you, dear reader, progress toward our next phase, it's important to remember that everything will work out exactly as it should. Maybe not how we want it to or wish it to, but precisely as it's supposed to, and we'll grow and learn as we go, making us all the more prepared.