So I recently discovered I am severely underpaid for my position at my current employer. It seems weird to say discovered, but I never really understood how much you should make in this position. Recently my family has grown by two, with the recent addition of twins, So I started branching out and looking to see if I could make a bit better.
I haven't really job searched since before COVID and I'm not really sure what changed but the interview process of experienced is just pure unadulterated soul crushing waste of time.
I've had several interviews now where they put me through a battery of interviews, I'm talking three to four interviews per application. I remember previously the most I ever had was maybe two interviews for a position. It is the worst feeling in the world, making it through three interviews, having each interviewer seemingly excited to talk to you, expressing how wonderful it was just to be slapped down in the fourth with a “Unfortunately, at this time, we will not be moving forward” email.
I understand the need to properly vet candidates, I've been in management for over 20 years but to put somebody through three to four interviews, if not more, only for them to be not accepted is a time hole that no one wants to experience. The person you were interviewing is likely emotionally built up in the position at this point, mentally excited at the prospects and wrongly assuming they have a shot. With the average interview lasting between 30 minutes to an hour, you are looking at 4 to 5 hours of interview time wasted.
This isn't even touching on the emotional drain that happens when you don't get accepted, and to have this happen several times in almost the exact same way starts to weigh on you. I currently feel like I am missing something key and no company is willing to provide any feedback on why you weren't accepted. So I'm left in the dark feeling broken and useless, wondering if I'm ever going to find something.
It hurts, it hurts a lot and it's a ton of emotional energy each and every time it happens.
I don't expect anything to change in this regard, because I don't think companies or recruiters even care, because until you are hired on, you were just a name, just a number and just another rejection letter.