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I’m really bright-I promise!
September 19, 2013
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I’m kinda down and out right now.
When I started working for my current employer, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life career wise. I had taken chef training previously, but with health issues and problems with my joints, I knew that working in a hot kitchen and standing on my feet for hours and hours at a time wouldn’t be the best for me physically. So, I did the responsible thing- I went back to school.
I took HR. I finished. Not only did I finish, I graduated with honours. I even took the extra step of going on to write the national knowledge exam (and pass it) while taking a full course load.
So what’s the problem?
I can’t get a job to save my life.
It seems like all of my friends that i went to college with have gotten jobs in their chosen HR fields. Not me though.
Just the other day I celebrated my 10 year anniversary with my current employer. For almost the last 2 years I’ve been applying for HR roles non stop, but out of the tons and tons of positions I’ve applied for, I’ve only gotten two interviews-one over the phone and one in person.
The most common feedback that I get is that the person who was hired had more experience than me-namely HR experience.
This feedback is very difficult for me. I’m very educated, I’m sharp, I’m quick, and I’m smart. The problem is: I don’t have hands-on HR experience. The problem is this: I have no idea how to obtain HR experience if no one will take a chance on me.
I’ve applied outside of the company. Part time positions, full time positions, anything. But no call backs.
I have a mentor who works in recruiting. She has reviewed my résumé and has made a few minor changes with me. Even with these changes, I still can’t manage to get my foot in the door.
I got lucky and had a hr manager from another department within my organization contact me. She and I had been in contact before because I emailed her and have her my national knowledge exam study notes. She invited me to apply for a coordinator role on her team. I applied for the role and spoke to her on the phone. I didn’t make it past the phone interview.
It’s very discouraging. I almost feel like giving up. My luck doesn’t seem to be very good. At all. In several facets of life.
I’m networking, I’m getting in people’s faces, ect. What makes it worse is the fact that I REALLY dislike what I’m doing right now job wise, and I don’t have the ability to just quit. Aside from that being irresponsible, it’s not going to work out well, especially when it comes to my employer and my medical benefits.
I don’t know what to do anymore.
Hi I regularly read your blog but this is my first time commenting. I just want to say that I'm in the exact same predicament, it's like you go 1 step forward and instead of 2 you take 3 steps back. I've been so demotivated at times that I've been tempted to apply for jobs that encourage people with disabilities to apply. It's like my mindset changes to I have lupus nephritis so why not use it to my advantage but then I think that I don't want my disease to dictate what type of job I get but rather I want my skills to (also I feel guilty that I might be taking a job from someone who might have it harder than me physically) It's tough I know, the constant process of trying to remain positive starts to wear you down. Anyway I just wanted you to know that you're not alone, sometimes I wish I can win the lotto and start a company where only chronically ill people can work, lol where if you're sick then you can work from home,no questions asked #wishful thinking 🙂
Hi Anon,
Thanks for your comment. You're right-I sometimes look at the jobs that are offered to people with disabilities and often consider applying for them. I think I even may have done so once or twice. But I feel fiercely guilty about doing so, and therefore I haven't done it recently.
How to all of these people gain the experience they need to get these positions? It's beginning to make me feel like the blood, sweat, and tears I put into going to school while on dialysis was an epic waste of time. 🙁