job interviews

Breathe
Relax
Less is more

think of some cool orders to give them, to show them how fun it will be to do your bidding

I have been jobhunting.

Note: I don't, strictly speaking, need to, because I already have a job. I just want a different one, and there are a bunch out there (for my particular niche type of work). I know this is a ridiculously privileged situation to be in.

That said, it IS a bit surreal - not just because everything is phones and zooms and teams and stuff, but because basically no one knows what tf is happening, so a lot of things are tentative. Thoughts in no particular order:

1. Almost every company has an online application; some are better than others.
- Sometimes you upload your resume and that's pretty much it. A+.
- Sometimes you upload your resume and the tool parses it successfully. B+.
- Sometimes you upload your resume and the tool parses it middlingly well - you still have to go in and correct/edit to correspond with reality. C.
- Sometimes you upload your resume and then you STILL have to manually enter every fricking thing. D-.

2. I have told a LOT of companies about my gender, race/ethnicity, disability status, and veteran-ness. This is fine and I understand why they collect the data but it's pretty repetitive and I find myself wishing for a way to do it all with one button.

3. I have talked to a LOT of initial screener interviewers (generally, recruiters or other HR types). These conversations generally go well. But the second phase (of talking to a person who actually understands the work) is usually slow to materialize. Because people are busy having, y'know, jobs.

4. Every potential calculation of whether/when to say yes is fraught. If I accept the first offer I will forever wonder whether I should have held out longer. If I reject an offer I will forever wonder if I should have taken it.

Friend just got a new gig, depends on the industry I guess