Job searching sucks!

A bit of whining…..

Sorry for the title of this post, but it is the most accurate description I could come up with that is still printable.  This post has nothing to do with being a vegan, but it is about me. It probably is therapeutic for me as well, so yes this is for me.

If you’ve ever gone a prolonged job search, I am sure you will agree with my title.  After a 30 year career in retail where I started on the sales floor and worked and clawed my way to COO/EVP of a $200MM company, I just can’t seem to find that next career position.  Is it age?  Is it lack of talent?  Is it me?  I am not really sure at this point……

The tough part is, I am confident I can be a productive and positive influence for a company.  I am extremely motivated. I have been through the war and I have the scars and experience to prove it.  I am not looking to land a huge role at a Fortune 500 company.  I have started at the bottom before and I am willing to do it again – ok, maybe not at the bottom, but I am more that willing to prove myself and worth to a company who is willing to give me a chance.

I have been through at least 8 different potential job processes lasting between 4 to 8 months, only get to the final decision and not get the role.  On one hand, if builds confidence that you made it through the gauntlet of interviews where at each level, other candidates were eliminated.  You get positive feedback at each stage – love your career story, you are so well rounded in many different areas, you possess executive presence and strong leadership skills, you have actually worked at so many different levels and managed as so many different levels which is unique and so on.  And then nothing……I take the positive and move forward!

The other scenario’s I run into are interesting.

1.  When I try to go after a role that may be with a smaller company or a lesser “title” that what I previously had, I always get questioned on why.  Why would I want to work for such a small company when I helped run a $200MM company?  Why would I take a lesser role that what I previously had?  I have lost a number of roles just because they couldn’t wrap their heads around these questions.  I think deep down they believed I was going to leave when the next BIG role came my way.  It didn’t matter what I said – they just didn’t buy it.
2. The other is the exact opposite.  There have been a number of roles where they wanted someone from either a Big Box company or from a “large” company.  In this case, $200MM was not large enough of a company to create the skill set they thought they were looking for.  While I can understand this scenario more than #1, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t at least want to talk to me.  You see my dilemma – I am stuck in the middle!

The Process

There is so much information and advice out there about how to find a job.  It certainly can be overwhelming at times.  DON’T waste your time applying to jobs – it is just one big black hole – Got it!  DON’T waste your time on job boards – another black hole – Got it!  Recruiters are only interested in you if they think you can help them – Got it!  Ageism is a real thing.  Do all you can to hide your age – Sure thing – Got it!  Don’t oversell yourself (ie dumb down your resume to attract a broader range of attention) – Got it, but not sure about this one!  Get your profile on LinkedIn updated and impactful – Got it!  Network, Network, Network – Got it!  Prepare your elevator pitch.  You only have one chance to impress and you better get it right – That’s a lot of pressure, but Got it!  80% of open jobs are never posted.  You have to find the unpublished jobs and connect with the right people.  Got it, but who are they and how do I find them?  And on and on…..

Much of what I just said is true.  But knowing it’s true and executing a plan based on this information can be challenging to say the least.  And even if you execute your plan, there are still no guarantees in this “game”.

Grinding, Grinding, Grinding

Enough whining, right!  All that gets you is a negative attitude and 2 steps behind everyone else.  I am not the only one who has gone through this and like all the others, a positive outcome WILL HAPPEN!  I know a great role is out there for me and I can’t wait to find it and start helping a company grow and improve!  I am adding recruiters to my network, I am reaching out to all my past contacts (again and again), I am applying to many jobs (I just can’t stop myself), I am writing posts on LinkedIn and I just keep grinding.

My passions are retail, business strategy, leadership as well as being a vegan, cooking, health, fitness, animals, cycling and family.  I would love a role that could combine some or many of these things, but the bottomline is that I need to get back to work and I am wasting time on this post.  I know I can be an asset to a company – we just need to find each other!

Back to the grind – smiling all the way!

PS – If you’re read this far, thank you!  Since you’re here, why don’t you take a look at my professional website for more info – danwinchester.workfolio.com.  Feel free to contact me or share my info with your network!