I am following my own pace when it comes to the career stuff and, as a result, I am not in the center of the application and interview tornado that is raging through school these two weeks. But as a semi-bystander I do get to see and hear the various trials and tribulations that come hand in hand with this process.
To start with, the anxiety level is higher for some then it is for others. I am sure that this has to do with both nature and nurture: visa expiration dates and loan repayments can put of a lot pressure on people and I am sure that some are simply more susceptible to stress then others, possibly due to varying confidence levels. Then there is also the difference in how this stress is displayed; in some you can see it a million miles away and with others you would think they didn’t have a worry in the world whilst inside they are coiled up like a spring. I guess now we get to see if our MBTI profiles are correct our not; introverts vs. extroverts! For those who are extrovert and feeling a lot of stress I would like to share one thing: try to be mindful of the fact that your stress rubs off on other people. This is not to say that this is intentional, or that you cannot share your feelings with others. Not at all. All I am saying is try to keep this in mind, because the last thing anyone needs right now is more tension. Remember, you are not alone.
And then there is the issue of sharing time and information. We have two days of career fairs, in which companies come to school and you are free to go to talk to them, to network. If you are interested in one of the companies, it is a great opportunity to profile yourself with them, to get on their radar screen so to speak. But here again there are different approaches. Some people are very effective in this recruitment tango; they approach the company, ask what they want to ask, share what they want to share, have a brief dialogue and then make space for the next person. Unfortunately not everyone does that. Again, to those who occupy the time of recruiters more then necessary, please be mindful of your classmates who are waiting their turn. The more time you spend with a recruiter does not equate automatically in a higher chance of getting recruited. Trust me, I know having done years of recruitment.
It’s normal to lose your peripheral vision when you become focused on a goal. We all do it from time to time. But if you do that you might overlook the fact that there are others going for the same goal and you miss the opportunity to work to it together. As one of our motto’s go: sharing is caring. And that goes for the job search as well.
Good luck to all this week!
Joan