Frustration, The Job Search Version ⇒

Last year was a tough one for me, job wise, as I got laid from EDP Software in March, then laid off again from ZE PowerGroup in Dec. This was a pretty huge knock on my self-esteem, as at both companies I was doing fairly well and ramping up revenue; it was a surprise, twice!

Getting laid off a few weeks before Christmas is particularly tough as no companies are ramping up their staffing at that time; not to mention you have the Christmas bills coming in.

So my job search begain in earnest around mid-Jan, and I was determined to find a really good, long term fit. Part of my challenge is that I really have to like the technology being sold. If I'm not interested enough it, I'll get bored super quick. Another challenge is that I like fun, agile companies, but there aren't many of those, in Vancouver, that sell complex software that I'd be interested in.

The last frustration is when you find what seems to be a perfect fit, and you get absolutely no response from on your outreach or applications. Examples for me include DataBricks and DataRobot, both of which I seem to be well suited for but have received no feedback.

And I have encountered several pet peeves as well:

• recruiters that never get back to you when you reach out
• companies that never explain why you weren't chosen, so you have no opportunity to improve

In short, job searching sucks. I do believe I'd rather be independently wealthy.