Feel I've made a mistake/very discouraged

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Anonymous

11/30/20 at 9:50AM UTC

Career

Feel I've made a mistake/very discouraged

I'm 26 and only ever had 1 job in my life. It was software-related work with a consulting company and I worked on 2 projects under them. I was cut from both within 8 months - second one due to covid. I felt very bad after second cut and wanted to avoid being assigned to a call center type project, so I quit and drove back to my home state. This was in April and I haven't been able to find a new job. I've gotten discouraged and applying to positions less and less. I tried networking and no leads have panned out. I'm trying for a software engineer role and working on my skills but I'm slowing on that too due to all this. What else can I do? I think my worst mistake was quitting as my professional experience is over a year but less than 2 and also not specific (first project was in a testing role, second in a data engineer type one). I feel like I'm in some weird in-between zone. Thanks in advance for all your thoughts.

26 Comments

Junie Rutkevich

Internet Marketing and SEO Expert

11/30/20 at 11:29AM UTC

Don't be discouraged. Try to list all the stuff you're good at. Do you provide consulting as well? Or maybe have some software-related skills? Try working online. Apply to some remote work. Or try Upwork. You can be a freelancer and have control over your work time and work diary.

Mary Brodie

128

I help companies build customer relationships

11/30/20 at 1:22PM UTC

What type of programming do you do? I know it's highly competitive out there (there are a lot of junior programmers) and a problem is that there are programmers who are shifty scammers, which gives the profession a bad name. Upwork can be shifty (I've tried Upwork and it's a wasteland). Try an IT agency who places people. They are always looking for junior programmers and will get you the right tests for screening and some introductions. Try to get some experience working on projects not for experience, but to build relationships to get more work. People need to see what you bring to the table and you need to buid a reputation and confidence. What makes you stand out? Have that ready too. What do you bring that others don't. Hope that's helpful.

Mimi Bishop

1.24k

Biz+Life Coach for GenX Women (and Millennials)

11/30/20 at 1:55PM UTC

Hi there, thank you for posting. I understand that you feel discouraged -- it's a trying time! A few thoughts -- it sounds like this is your first full-time professional job. While looking for your next step, I wondered if you have prior experience in a part-time role that you may have had while in college, etc. Is there an opportunity to use skills from those prior experiences to bring you to the next step in your professional career? I also wondered if you could take a few part-time or "bridge" temporary roles while you figure out your next steps. Don't give up -- these are hard times but they always rebound. I've started my career during a recession and experienced the dotcom bust, 9/11 and the Great Recession. Hang in there!

1 Reply

Anonymous

12/01/20 at 8:41AM UTC

Yeah, this was my first full-time professional job. And I haven't had any other experience other than that. Not even an internship or a part time job. I'll consider temporary roles. And that's impressive you persisted in the face of all these global downturns, really provides hope. Thank you.

1 Reply

Mimi Bishop

1.24k

Biz+Life Coach for GenX Women (and Millennials)

12/01/20 at 10:07AM UTC

You are welcome. Yes, persistence is key. Hang in there!

Kelly Venable

Recruiting | Strategic Hiring | Career Coach ⏱

11/30/20 at 2:28PM UTC

Do your best to think outside of the box and maybe from a recruiters standpoint. Sometimes recruiters get 200+ resumes for a role. Do your part and make sure you tailor your resume to speak to the qualifications they are asking for in the job. Spell out how you did those tasks and quantify your success rate. Furthermore, in case the recruiter never gets to your resume in their ATS system, seek out the hiring manager on LinkedIn and send them a loom video explaining that you applied for the xyz position and that you are uniquely qualified to accomplish (find a task in the job description), and that you would be excited to explain how you can help them accomplish their goals. Keep this to a minute if you can. If the hiring manager liked your enthusiasm, they may ask the recruiter for your resume. This is one way to take charge of making sure you are "seen" when you apply. If you can take these extra steps, you may have more success. Remember this...you have nothing to LOSE by doing this extra work!

Anonymous

11/30/20 at 2:29PM UTC

Do not lose hope! Take a moment to remember that obstacles are stepping stones. Research opportunities in various industries that may not be a perfect fit but could offer a new skill set to enhance your current qualifications. I know you are frustrated but keep going! Wishing you peace of mind during this difficult season!!!

User edited comment on 12/02/20 at 4:45AM UTC

Jennifer

11/30/20 at 3:04PM UTC

The feeling of being discouraged is not great but with the current state of the world, is not uncommon. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself at this point. You aren't sitting at home doing nothing, waiting for something to fall in your lap. You are looking, you are asking for advice, you are doing all of the right things. That is positive within itself. Just keep looking and don't give up!

Emelyn Lybarger

Life, Leadership, & Team Development Coach

11/30/20 at 4:29PM UTC

A lot of great advice above! I wonder if it would be helpful as well to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling or in this experience. I think FGB is a great community for support. Do you have something closer to home as well? If not, can you start something? A meetup, of sorts, where women in your area can connect, network, help lift each other up over video, private FB group, something like that. So much more is possible when we're together.

Kyla Duffy

130

Your PERSONAL Coach & Writer

11/30/20 at 4:40PM UTC

You've got this - don't give up. The best way to get through to an interview is to ensure the content you include in your resume is laser-targeted to the job description (highlighting the keywords in the description and then looking back at your resume to ensure they stand out can be helpful). It sounds like you're looking at a few different types of jobs, so this is especially important. I'm not sure how you reach out to someone directly on FGB, but if you'd like me to take a quick look at your resume and give you some free tips, I'd be happy to.

Carrie Topolski

2.22k

Empowering women and beyond!

11/30/20 at 7:25PM UTC

Don't give up. It's a very trying time out there right now with so many people searching for jobs. Keep learning and keep growing. Make sure you are listing all the things you are learning. Show them that you're still growing and eager to learn more. I would suggest you keep networking too. You just never know who you'll come across. There are going to be ups and there are going to be downs. Try to stay focused on the positives. Trust me I know how hard that is. I was unemployed for 8 months. I believe that the right job would come along and that I just needed to be patient. It paid off and the right job came long. If you need help with your resume or your LinkedIn profile let me know. As I had a job coach I've learned a lot about what is needed to stand out.

Danielle Spahn

11/30/20 at 8:47PM UTC

Don't loose hope! Even in the best of economies, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a job early on in your career. Here are my suggestions for your job search, specific to a Software Engineering career: 1. Target applying for jobs in areas that have a lot of tech companies, where jobs are more likely to exceed available candidates (California Bay area and Southern California; Lehi, UT, Seattle, WA - I am sure there are others throughout the US but these are the ones I am familiar with). Even though many companies are allowing remote work right now, you may need to be willing to relocate. 2. If you are very early on in your career, consider taking on an internship. 3. While you are waiting for the right job to open up, polish up your skills. Get more certifications, learn a new programming language that you can add to your resume, or pursue more education in your field. Depending on your current education, you might consider Cal State Fullerton's online Masters of Software Engineering program, or both Carnegie Mellon and University of California, Irvine offer both MS and Ph.D.s in Software Engineering. Ph.D programs are usually fully funded and offer a salary in addition to covering tuition. 4. Get your code out there. Consider contributing to an open source project to sharpen your skills and demonstrate your skills: https://gitlab.com/explore/groups

User edited comment on 11/30/20 at 9:04PM UTC

1 Reply

Patricia Ayuso

Software Developer, Agilist, and Data lover

12/02/20 at 2:16AM UTC

I'm with Danielle a 100%. As a Software Development Manager, I always look at the Github profile, projects and code style. But first, you have to focus in one area, you need to choose if you want to be a developer, tester, data scientist... Then, you can choose the language(s)/technology(ies) you need to learn to get there. After that, I would look for an open source project to help, learn, and polish your coding style. This could be another way to network. Aside from internships, you can search for programs in FAANG (Facebook Apple Amazon Netflix Google) and other BigTechs. Reach me anytime if you want to ask something else. Best!

11/30/20 at 9:32PM UTC

lets say you are looking for a job 100%, i would scale that back and look for a job 50%, and work on a personal project for the other 50%, or join an open source community and contribute code to them. Also be fair to yourself. this is a weird time! Its not awesome looking for a job during pandemic that no one has seen before!

Elena

11/30/20 at 10:40PM UTC

Feeling discouraged is draining on its own. Something to consider would be doing a “project” on your own. It can be something you find interesting, a project for a class, or a consulting project (even if pro-Bono). That will both add to your experience and show you as someone who is go getter. That is particularly valued in start ups, where they are more flexible in work experience and more focused on culture fit.

Stephanie Dufner

Communications professional

11/30/20 at 10:46PM UTC

It's a challenging time now for many, but I encourage you to keep networking, which can seem to be a slow process. It often takes more than one meeting to connect with peers. Is there a local peer group for your profession where you can network with others?

1 Reply

Anonymous

12/01/20 at 8:31AM UTC

I haven't considered a local peer group at all. I've seen a few, but haven't felt comfortable enough to join. Guess I'll start now. Thanks for the advice.

Farah Bajwa

193

Manager | Mentor | Consultant | Coach

11/30/20 at 10:52PM UTC

The fact that you're reaching out to us here means you still have some fight left in you - hold on to that! The world is tough so be gently with yourself. Take the time out you need to regroup and come up with a game plan (I suggest a book called "What Color is your Parachute?"). Keep a schedule/weekly routine to keep you on track or assign a buddy to help you stay accountable to yourself. Networking is important to connect you with people in areas you want to get into. I also suggest posting your resume on places like Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn so that recruiters can search for you as you search for them. Sign up for their email lists so that they can send you jobs that meet some of your criteria - ZipRecruiter has a "one-touch apply" feature (it can't get easier than that). Also, don't be so hard on yourself about the gap in jobs. With COVID, everything has become more understanding. Don't think of it as a blemish on your resume. If you're asked by a potential employer about a job gap, answer in a way that shows self-development (ex "I took a step back to better understand my skills, strengths, interests, goals so that I ensure my next role is an appropriate fit and that I can stay in it long term"). No one will look out for you the way you have the power to, so believe in yourself. You got this!

Ruth Ford

146

HR guru/EEO Specialist

11/30/20 at 10:52PM UTC

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the prior advice. To that, I would add -- 1) Don't be discouraged. At this point, it's about moving forward. 2) Have a professional (or someone that you respect with solid writing skills) review your resume to ensure it accurately reflects your knowledge, skills & abilities. 3) There are a slew of IT consulting and staffing agencies out there. Many IT jobs don't hit the typical job boards because they use niche agencies for placement. I once worked for a Fortune 100 company who posted some jobs externally but behind the scenes, we worked with a half dozen IT staffing agencies to fill temp-to-hire roles. The more lines you have in the water, the more likely you are to get bites. Keep the faith and good luck! :-)

1 Reply

Anonymous

12/01/20 at 8:35AM UTC

Thanks for the advice - especially working with IT staffing agencies instead of just looking at company sites. I wish you the best too :)

Anonymous

11/30/20 at 11:52PM UTC

I say dust it off and start over. Fresh. You’re still early in your career so I would list those two roles on your resume as internships if you think you can flesh out the narrative - esp since both were very specific projects as most internships are. Best of luck to you. You’ve got this!

1 Reply

Anonymous

12/01/20 at 8:32AM UTC

That's an idea I've never heard before. Is this a common thing with contracting work? I'm really curious. And thanks for the support.

Anonymous

12/01/20 at 4:46PM UTC

Software engineer job searches are incredibly stressful. I've been looking for work the past 6 months and I have 20 years of experience. You mentioned that you're trying to improve your skills and I can't stress enough that in order to land that job, that's the thing you need to focus on the most because the interview process is grueling. Since your experience is a little varied (testing and data eng) it would benefit you to find the area that you like and really concentrate on leveling up in those skills. Good luck - I know it's tough but you can do it!

FGB Community Manager

1.42k

Connecting career-minded women

12/01/20 at 6:50PM UTC

Hey there! Thanks for sharing your experience with the Fairygodboss Community. We'd love to invite you to the Fairygodboss Job Search Bootcamp, where we'll provide personal mentorship and coaching to a few select individuals who lost their jobs during the pandemic. Our goal is to provide you with as many resources as possible to see that you're set up for career success. If you're interested, you can find more details and our application form here: https://fairygodboss.com/community-link/ABK20OV_r/fairygodboss-job-search-bootcamp-application

Anonymous

12/02/20 at 2:23AM UTC

It's going to be a slog. There is no way around but you have some time on your hands and now is a good time to think about what you want from a career/profession. I learned the hard way that when leaving a job -it's best to focus on what you want to go to rather than what you want to get away from.

Gargi Biswas

Award Winning Business Leader(Digital Solutions)

12/03/20 at 3:05PM UTC

I will suggest take an excel spread sheet , list down these things under 4 different columns : What are you good at ( focus on skills), What projects you have confidence on handling , what are your learning points ( things you need to work upon) , What kind of roles you are looking for. Once you have this , you will notice that you will get pointers to reframe your resume and apply for right jobs. Start with LinkedIn, publish content which showcases your strength, make point of connecting with a minimum of 10 people everyday ( dont limit yourself to a particular region or country), target specific companies , connect with the talent acquisition managers . Start building your LinkedIn profile and expand your network. You will see results.