Diary of a Millennial Job Seeker
Honored to have a true millennial guest blogger. The names and places have been changed to protect everyone!
Part I. What happens when you use Linkedin like it’s Facebook:
I applied for this “marketing coordinator” position at an Events Company using the “easy apply” function on LinkedIn on Tuesday with my generic rèsumè. No cover letter. No visit to the website or direct contact with HR. In essence, the fakest of applications to the vaguest of job descriptions. Wednesday, less than 24 hours later, I wake up to an email in my inbox inquiring if I can come in the next day. I ask to come in on Friday instead, they comply. 5pm it is.
On Friday I got a text for a confirmation about the interview AND AN EMAIL. Two mediums of confirmations? The e-mail says business professional/business casual. It’s in JERSEY CITY bc the office in manhattan is under construction.
The train ride to Jersey City is uneventful besides 2 factors:
1) My mom called and for a brief moment I felt relief from the fit I had in the parking lot of the train station. There was not a single spot in the 400 spot lot and I missed the train and had to uber to a neighboring station. Good things mom can talk us down.
2) I hadn’t prepped for the interview at all since it was on such short notice and I figured I’d have time to research the company during the 3 hour commute. I’m trying look up the company on my phone and my DATA ISNT WORKING. No safari, no “About Us” section, no client testimonials, no LinkedIn searching the HR manager who emailed me, no insta stalking the company. I later find out the data was blocked because my baby sister who is also on the plan used up all the family data. Who can relate?
It’s at this point that I text two of my fastest responding contacts to request they google information so I don’t walk in unprepared and without research. They begin to google, click links and send me screen shots. Nothing is substantial related to the company. No images of events…. no insta account… I find that it was started in 2018…. the CEO has no pictures… basically it’s a fake company.
I use google maps to walk the 6 minutes from the subway to the office. I’m so pleased that I have so much time to spare that I go and relax at Starbucks with wifi to only to continue finding bupkis. No employees state or link the company as their place of work on Linkedin, the language used on the website is vague, no past clients are listed, the company does not characterize itself as a start-up, and there’s no blog which is very commonplace for events or marketing companies who are always interested in discussing market trends. I walk back to the exact spot that my phone indicated was one minute away from the company office. I change into my heels, find a mint at the bottom of my Mary Poppins inexhaustive purse, blot my forehead from sweat, take a couple deep breaths before heading in to be nice and early and calm and sweat free. I walk the extra minute and look up. I’m in the middle of a parking garage. Panic tears it’s way through my chest as now I’m 20 minutes before the interview and very aware that i’m in the vicinity of the interview and yet; so far.
I call an Uber for $5 rationalizing that Uber HAS to take me door to door. The Uber app says the driver is 5 minutes away and that the trip is 1 minute. This further frustrates me because I know the office must be in plain sight and that I JUST. CANNOT. SEE. IT. And then, pure luck — a mailman! Unlike the 4 previous Storeowners I asked that led me in conflicting and incorrect directions, he must have an idea! Afterall, isn’t it a mailperson’s job to know the neighborhood? I am flustered with 11 minutes left until my interview time. He points to the tallest building in the area two blocks away. get charged $3 for my cancelled uber and take off running.
In the elevator a man steps in with me and sees my clammy hands clutching a folder and pen. Obviously I took out the necessary materials ahead of time because I don’t think it the interviewer’s business that I have tattered five below receipts, straw wrappers, flip flops and leggings in my purse. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t speak to the professionalism of my character.
“Are you here for an interview?” the man in the interview asks. My heart sinks as in this moment I’m all the sudden very aware that this is the man that will be conducting my interview. I’m so fired up from the stressful succession of events of the previous hour I ask “Why, are you my interviewer?” He looks taken aback and I realize my immediate assumption is wrong and I’m giving major attitude. I apologize and tell him yes all the while being immensely thankful that I still had luck left. I exit the elevator on the 5th floor with 6 minutes to spare before 5pm interview laughing at the irony that I have used EVERY minute of the 3 and 1/2 hours I left for a 2 hour max commute.
What happens next?
Does the interview start on time?
Is it a real thing?
Can you relate?
Tune in Next Week!