"20 years' experience and it counts for nothing"

"I don't really know how to start this, but I've read other people's letters to you, so I'll just say it. I'm 14 months out of work and I'm starting to lose hope.

My company was acquired a while back and after the deal I was slowly pushed to the side despite all their pre-deal talks about being a lovely company to work for. It got bad enough that I asked for an exit package just to get out with my sanity. I thought I'd be back on my feet in a few months. That was over a year ago.

I'm on LinkedIn constantly. Multiple times a day. And every time I find something that fits, it already says "over 100 applicants" within the first hour. I still tailor my CV every time. I write the cover letter. I hit apply and for the rest of that day I feel hopeful. Then nothing. Total silence. And then sometimes, six months later, I wake up to find an automated rejection has landed in my inbox and gives me a not so great start to the day.

The headhunter thing is the part I can't make sense of. I have great calls with them. More than ten. They all say the market is turning, green shoots, hang in there. Then I never hear back. And then I watch them announce placements on LinkedIn for roles I know I'd have been perfect for. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

I've even got the green "open to work" banner on my photo now. I swore I never would. I've run out of shame.

I have 20 years of experience and right now it feels like it counts for nothing. Pre-Covid I would be approached for jobs a few times a year.

The hardest part is at home. We've got a mortgage and a kid and the bills keep climbing. My husband is trying to be supportive, but I can see the strain on him, and on us, and that's almost worse than the rejection. Every trip into the city for a meeting costs money we don't really have. And the idea of going on benefits makes me feel sick, though I don't know how much longer I can avoid it.

Sorry. This turned into a bit of a rant. I just didn't know who else to say it to and want to vent.

Thank you for reading.

‘Worn Down in the Wilderness’, Norwich, UK"

Dear 'Worn Down',

It's ok to rant. Everyone needs to vent sometimes, and you've had a really tough 14 months by the sounds of it. It's beneficial to release the valve.

M&A integration can be really tough. I've seen some work out really, really well but I've seen super talented people absolutely get shafted by people who have no talent at all. You are fighting against a world that isn't fair.

You've been applying into a system that's broken at the front door. "Over 100 applicants in an hour" doesn't mean a hundred better candidates. It means a hundred desperate people, trying to better their lives, firing the same one-click application because the platform makes it frictionless to do so. Increasingly, your tailored CV and your thoughtful cover letter are sitting in a pile that a machine scanned and binned before a human ever saw your name. The six-month auto-rejection isn't a verdict on you. It's likely a database clearing its backlog.

So, if the front door is jammed, we have to stop queuing at it.

At 20 years and senior level, jobs like yours were never really filled through application forms. You said it yourself. Pre-Covid you got approached a few times a year. That's the actual market for someone like you. It runs on relationships, reputation and being top of mind when a need appears. It does not run on LinkedIn's apply button. You've shown real grit and discipline to keep trying.

Head-hunters can be very charming. But they are there to service themselves by serving their clients. They do not have the inclination nor the bandwidth to give career coaching or proactively look to get specific people employed. There are just too many people looking for new roles. When they land a new mandate, they take the path of least resistance to filling that role. They look to that company's competitors as they are easier to sell to the client. They might throw in a couple of outliers but the vast majority of the time, they, or the end client, takes the easier options.

But there are things you can do there. Head-hunters are increasingly putting on their own events as they also need to generate demand. They will host networking events and moderated panels, often around 'how to become fractional' or 'how to get your first board position' because it gets senior people into their rooms and gives them the opportunity to sniff out opportunities for new mandates. And once they place a senior person, they hope to get the mandate to help them shape their team. It's how the game works. So, for you, try and get in those rooms where possible. Ask them if they have any events in the pipeline. If you see them posting photos of exclusive dinners on LinkedIn, ask them if you can go to the next one. It will help them get to know you and how you could be useful to them in the future. And you'll get to meet other people round the table that might, just might, be able to support your job search.

In regard to the green banner, it's quite a polarising topic. Some are vehemently (I learnt that word from Macbeth) opposed to it. Some are pragmatic saying that it lets your network know you're open to opportunities. There is zero shame in looking for a role to provide for your family. That is why we all work. No-one dreams of adding shareholder value when they are little.

Money keeps a lot of people up at night. 'Signing on' or accepting welfare cheques is not a failure. It is what the system is there for, to help you out during times of need. It's not free money. You have paid into that system for 20+ years just in case a situation like this happened. If there are benefits available to you, take it. It will help you afford those trips into the city.

The strain at home isn't a sign you're failing your family. It's the strain that comes from carrying this alone and trying to look fine. Let your husband actually see the plan, not just get the brunt of the frustration. People can hold a hard situation far longer when they can see it's being tackled, not just endured. Right now, he's probably watching you get down and feels helpless. Let him watch you swim, even slowly.

Twenty years does count for something. It counts for a lot. Here's some ideas:

·       Head-hunter events. Ask for invites. Go. Participate. Understand how you can be valuable to them.

·       Reconnect with old colleagues. On a human level first, simply ask how they are and allow the conversation to naturally flow to what you're up to and how they could help. Your next role is overwhelmingly more likely to come from your network than a jobs board.

·       When you do head into the city, try and make sure your agenda is jam packed reconnecting with some of those people you've been messaging on LinkedIn, especially old colleagues in sales or HR. They are only ever one step away from introducing you directly to a hiring manager.

·       Give your LinkedIn profile and CV a fresh pair of eyes. It's amazing what grammatical errors you'll see all of a sudden. There's plenty of webinars out there on what a good CV looks like.

·       Some tickets targeting B2B marketers are obscenely priced at nearly 1k a ticket. Seek out reasonable ones via sites like Eventbrite or B2B Marketing United. Get out there, meet new people, stay current as best as you can.

You are not on any scrap heap, you just need to make some luck. I can tell you right now that when you secure your next role, you'll be one hell of an employee. You won't be coasting or riding a gravy train, you will value it like you never have before. Show that passion in those interviews you are going to have in the next few months.

Onwards!

Rich

Got a question for Rich? feel free to contact us via the form.