My Friday Rant

Well, another week has gone by. One that started with a lot of optimism has ended with another set of rejection emails after going through hiring manager screens for jobs that I'm more than qualified for.

Infuriating. Depressing. Confusing.

I'm sure most of you out there have gone through the same cycle - the recruiter makes a phone call and together you review your resume/profile, with the recruiter half the time saying "you have a very impressive background...) and then some kind of platitude implying you're an excellent candidate for the role they're screening for.

Happily, you exit the call, awaiting the schedule request for the Hiring Manager screen - that first round interview where the HM dives in a bit deeper and decides if they like you.

Depending on the person you speak with, this next round video meeting brings different results.

Last week, in a HM Zoom for a job I really wanted even though the pay was lower and the requirement would be for me to drive 45 minutes each way every day to the coast to be in the office, the HM actually recoiled when he saw me immediately after joining the call. It then took him 5-10 minutes to collect himself and act/speak without stuttering.

We had a great conversation the rest of the interview, he appeared satisfied with the stories/answers I gave and I felt like I presented myself well. But the start of the interview and my gut feeling like he really didn't want an "old guy" lingered.

Someone looks at your resume, sees that you've worked at five of the biggest technology based companies in the world, should have inferred that the years of experience would translate into someone who is older than 45 - no one I have known works at two of these jobs simultaneously so...

What was the big surprise? Unless the HM didn't do any due diligence review at all before the call?

I knew the moment I saw the reaction and heard him sputtering for words. I really didn't want to think that it would be the reason I wouldn't be considered for the role - especially since I interviewed with a different HM back in May for another similar role, and that HM reached out to me directly in text message with a very positive comment about our Zoom back then, and inviting me to apply for this new role.

I dont get it.

As I said, I'm sure many of you reading this who are considered atypical for the industry have encountered similar treatment. There are lots of LinkedIn posts regarding giving new grad and older candidates more chances for roles that companies are hiring for. Lauding either the excitement and energy new grads bring, or the wealth and breadth of experience industry veterans have that not only benefit the projects but also provide valuable mentorship to their teammates and leaders up and down the ladder.

It seems like those posts are all filtered out from recruiters and company HR news feeds.

I soldier on though - very disappointed as I'm either rejected at the outset, or I make it through all the stages and loops to find out at the end that I'm not the candidate they selected, or worst of all ghosted and never get anything acknowledging I existed for them.

I work on my personal projects, or I struggle trying to learn other skill sets that dont come naturally to me such as Marketing, Advertising, etc to try to find ways to help my wife's fledgling nurse practitioner practice without stepping on her toes. And I continue to send resumes, reach out to professional and personal connections to ask if they would be willing to refer me through internal channels to roles that I had the required experience and credentials for 10 years ago.

What to do?

I know very well from personal experience how hard it is to continue to be positive about things - but you need to since life is a self-fulfilling thing. If you get down and give up, nothing good will happen. But if you shake it off, look yourself in the mirror and realize that oftentimes its not you or your value, your experience that has been passed on... its the values and insecurities of the people you have been talking to that had them going with someone else. Or it truly might be that someone else had skill sets that more closely matched the direct requirements for the role that you interviewed for.

But you have value - you have experience, you have knowledge, you have skills that all the challenging times you've encountered and succeeded in have imparted to you that no one else has. Its their loss they dont have you on their staff, and the Hiring Manager who truly recognizes that value will have a kick ass team member they can rely on.