I found out today that I failed to secure a job, a bottom-rung-of-management job at a different organisation to the one that I'm currently employed with.
Two years of management experience, 4.5 years of experience in the reverent field, and 10 years of experience with customer service, which related to the position.
I know it's tough out there, and you're never promised a job, but in order to get the 'no', I put in the following:
2 hours to write my statement and complete application
4 hours preparing for my first interview
2 hours travelling to and from first interview
1 hour interview
1.5 hours on tests: reasoning, numeracy, experience & personality
2 hours preparing a presentation to deliver at stage 2
2 hours preparing for the questions
2 hours travelling to and from second interview
1 hour for second interview.
SO that's 17.5 hours from start to end, and my question is – HOW IS ANYONE MEANT TO DO THAT AT SCALE WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME?!
I had to prepare the presentation and do the tests within 2 working days because of this organisations time scales, so before and after my working day.
If I had even one more process like that ongoing at the same time, I wouldn't have been able to prepare equally for both, yet I'm told “FiNdiNg a JoB iS a NumBeRs GaMe” and that putting in hundreds of applications is 'normal'.
How can this be the job market?!