Dear Job Seekers,

For a while now I have been looking for a job related to what I went to college for. I have filled out countless online job applications and reached out to multiple recruiters. I found jobs unrelated to my degree but it made me feel hopeless to not find the one job that would feel perfect. Do you know what I mean? If you are reading this, I am sure you do.

I reached a point in my job search that made me feel worthless. Seeing people around me getting their dream job made me feel so envious. Why couldn’t that be me? Why couldn’t I find the perfect job to start my career? All the hopelessness made me want to give up but I continued to fill out applications hoping someone would call. And that is how the global pandemic found me, found you.

Now we sit at home and wonder what will happen next. So many companies have fired employees. Others have put them on leave without pay. Seeing the current world situation scares us the most. Who will actually hire new employees after this? How long will it take for companies to recover and look for new hires? Who would take a chance on me?

Despite the fear and uncertainty, I continue to fill out applications. Platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor have openings for multiple jobs that I would be happy to have. I have no idea if there is someone reading resumes or thinking about new hires but I do not lose anything by simply trying. That is the one thing that will keep us going: just trying and waiting to see what happens.

My advice to you would be to not give up, and continue to apply to the job you want. You are spending most —if not all— of your time at home with not much to do. Use that time to continue your search as hopeless as it may seem. Take a look at all the openings you find, decide which ones may fit you, and submit your resume. What is the worst that could happen?

If you are afraid that your application will get lost in the chaos of the pandemic, there are other things you could do to get closer to your goal. Option number one: save the company’s information and reach out to them in the future; your dream position may still be open. Option number two: re-write or edit your resume; make it look perfect and professional for when you start applying for jobs again. Option number three: use your time to expand your network; reach out to recruiters and other professionals through social media and platforms like LinkedIn. Last but not least, option number four: put your job search on hold and try to focus on something else while things are still chaotic. This one is the hardest to do, if we are honest.

Whatever you decide to do, remind yourself that we are living through a very unique situation. Nothing is the same it was a few weeks ago and it will probably never be the same again. However, things will eventually calm down and people will start getting hired. You have to remain as patient as you have been while applying online and waiting for that one phone call. You have made it this far, you can keep going.

Job hunting has always been difficult and time consuming. We apply to many jobs, hear from a few, and are only hired by one. The rejections always hurt our ego and our hope. But what matters is that we never give up. We keep applying, sending emails, and making phone calls. All those actions will lead to the job you want. The global pandemic is making us feel even more hopeless but you never know, you might end the year signing a contract with the company of your dreams.

Do not give up now. We are all in this together,

Another job seeker relentlessly filling out online applications.

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