How to get a field job during recession?
“External things are not the problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.”
When I graduated back in 2020, in the middle of COVID, I didn't have anyone to guide me.
(I wasn't born a career coach, lol)
I've made my fair share of mistakes.
To make matters worse, a few people around me kept saying, "You shouldn't have come to Canada. You won't get a job here."
Sometimes, I felt so clueless in my job-hunt journey.
Even my target role was a question mark.
"Am I doing this right?" - was the constant thought in my head.
So, if you often find yourself questioning the same thing, believe me, I know what it feels like.
Therefore, I'm writing this email to share the different stages of the job hunt to hopefully show you a path.
You're probably in one of these stages.
Let me break it down for you...
➡️ Uninformed Optimism:
This is the stage when you are utterly confused about your target role.
You are influenced and excited by the roles your friends are applying for.
So, without evaluating your own skills and experiences...you jump in.
"Everyone's going into BA roles. It looks pretty exciting, so why not me too?"
➡️ Informed Pessimism:
This is the stage where you realize the grass isn't as green as it seemed from afar.
You start realizing the sheer effort required just to be considered.
You watch YT videos and do certifications and projects, even volunteer to try and gain a competitive edge.
BUT...then you slip to the next stage.
➡️ The Valley of Despair:
Now this, Ninja, is the shit-eating stage.
And I mean it literally :-(
You've started applying, and you're:
Getting 100s of rejections.
Getting ghosted by recruiters.
Getting rejected from interviews.
You're competing against people with years of Canadian experience, and IT'S AWFUL.
This is the stage where you think:
"There are no vacancies, the competition is insane, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing!"
At this point, 99% of people quit and revert to stage 1—all excited about a different opportunity.
Once again, they think that the grass is greener on the other side.
"Oh, one of my friends got a job in Project Management. That looks easier than this. I'll go into that."
They get excited all over again, only to repeat this cycle of disappointment.
➡️ Informed Optimism:
Now, if you push through the last stage - The Valley of Despair, then you'll realize that this is the stage where the tide turns.
You understand the challenges, but you also see the potential upsides.
After countless rejections and tons of interviews, you've gathered information on the skills you lack.
And this is where you start working on those areas which ultimately pushes you to the final stage.
➡️ Success:
This is the dream outcome. This is where you finally get your dream job.
Sadly, most people never make it this far.
Now, why am I telling you all this?
If you are:
➡️ Getting rejected
➡️ Confused about your target role
➡️ Having to work harder than expected
➡️ Being tempted by other opportunities
It's normal!
The mistake many job seekers make is quitting before reaching stages 4 and 5.
They never get their dream job because they don't push through the valley of despair.
They think something is wrong with them if they are getting this many rejections.
Well...I'll say it again: it's completely normal.
It's okay to feel sad and frustrated.
However, that's no excuse to quit altogether.
Keep Blooming,
Bani Singh