While we can all agree that working remotely offers some great benefits to the workplace, it has made the job-seeking and interviewing process much longer. Understandably, recruiters have a difficult job to do, scouring a worldwide talent pool and trying to find the right person for each job. From HR to hiring managers, everyone conducting interviews must make room for multiple interviews in between their own projects and responsibilities, making scheduling ultra difficult.
All of this often leaves the job seeker suffering through a long process and getting fewer updates than they'd prefer. And as anyone who's been alone with their thoughts knows, the mind can be so cruel sometimes. It’s easy for anyone in this position to go into a downward spiral of negative emotions and thoughts. If this is you, we have a handful of tips on how to stay positive during the long interview process.
Tip 1: Put the whole process in perspective
When you think about the number of people involved in setting up rounds of interviews around existing schedules, you’re also only thinking about one team of people. Meanwhile, the company might have 20 or so positions that need to be filled, some of which may crossover with the people you’re in line to meet. Team members are hard at work on their regular 9 to 5 jobs, including everyday projects for the company, which usually take precedence over interviews. The process is long and touches many workflows, so when you really think about it, if you got the opportunity to interview with a few people, you’re someone important they wanted to meet in the first place.
Tip 2: Don’t assume the worst
If you nailed the interview but don’t hear back for days or weeks, relax and follow up with helpful information. Remember what we just said about the massive process? Well, it needs to be repeated with all the other candidates. Your first interview may have been a success, but it still takes lots of time to continue interviewing others before the team decides who will move forward to the next step. And you don’t know where you fall within this process—at the beginning, middle, or end. Recruiters are trying to be thorough and fair with each candidate. Bottom line: follow up, try not to get frustrated, and have empathy for the people trying to fill this position. If negative emotions do come up (naturally) find a healthy outlet for them elsewhere through therapy, exercise, or a simple heart-to-heart with your bestie.
Tip 3: Remember that most of this process is out of your control
So you revamp your resume, create sets of questions to ask specific interviewers, and even create a full presentation to walk teams through your work, only to have to wait for weeks for a response. Or worse—you’re ghosted or told that they’re moving forward with other candidates. This is not a time to get down on yourself. Keep in mind that only one person can get a job and you have no idea why the process played out the way it did. Maybe you were competing against candidates with incredibly niche skills that fit the job all too perfectly. Maybe they decided to hire someone internally. Maybe the hiring manager chose to hire their best friend (which, do you want to join a company that would make a decision like that?). Perhaps they lost the funding for the position, reorganized teams, or were instructed to go on a hiring freeze. All of these scenarios happen regularly and you have zero control over each one. Why continue to beat yourself up? The only thing you can control is how you think about yourself and proceed after these situations. You could spin your wheels wondering what happened. Or you could close the book on this company and begin a new chapter of your search elsewhere.
If you’re wondering where you begin your search for a job, we may have a job for you!
