They Say It’s Not Personal, But It Sure Feels That Way
Sigh, it’s happened again.
I applied for a job that looked perfect for me, it was in line with my background and interests, easily commutable and the salary wasn’t too egregious as non-profit Executive Directorships go. I was jazzed when I got not one, but two emails from board members asking to talk to me.
Setting up the phone interview was easy and I ended up speaking to the board Chair for an hour, talking about the opportunities facing the organization and how I was capable of making them happen. It was a great conversation and I felt that we really connected, he finished by saying they’d be in touch right after the next board meeting.
I followed up with a thank you note and sat back to wait, already pondering what I would tackle first. And then…
Nothing.
No call, no email, no letter or text.
Just silence, in fact…
Crickets!
A month ago the same thing happened: a brain cancer organization had called me to set up a video conference and wanted to know when I would be available. I sent in my times and heard nothing at all. I followed up a few days later with the same result - not a word.
Another time, after three in person interviews I was told it was between me and a candidate who was more local to the job ( I was willing to move,) and it might take them an extra few days to decide.
Following up after 2 weeks when I had not heard back, this was the reply to my email:
“ Sorry, I thought I had emailed you, they really preferred you but the other candidate lives closer.”
Has Basic Common Courtesy Just Died Or Has It Been Dead For Decades?
I guess I just don’t get it- to not even bother to respond at all.
I do get that it’s not fun to disappoint people who have come to you, but there are loads of ways to avoid unpleasant communications! Emails and texts are awesome if you’re averse to eye contact, phone messages can be left in the middle of the night if you don’t want to converse, but it seems that this isn’t about avoiding discomfort — it’s that people just don’t care and standards of consideration have fallen to a new low.
Not that the job title is of crucial importance, but you’d think when applying to a senior level position, showing your interest and willingness to represent the organization at an Executive level, there might be a reciprocal element of respect…
…but no, as applicants, despite the job level, it appears that we must be seen solely as cannon fodder.
Similarly to many people over the age of 50, and older, I have endured my share of abusive and shameful treatment as I look for work. Whether it is algorithms seeking only keyword densities as a measure of appropriateness, or recruiters who don’t have any real idea about the the job for which they are recruiting for and of course may favorite — job descriptions that are flat out unrealistic, it’s really a challenge to be heard.
I was even once given an automated phone interview - not even a person on the other end of the line!
Thoughtful and Compelling and Into Thin Air
Some of the job descriptions are hilarious- either a laundry list of what they wish to see in a candidate with expectations that are pretty unrealistic or those requiring advanced degrees along with years of experience ( and the magic Rolodex,) for $40,000 per year.
Almost all of the applications require all sorts of background information, most of which is never read, and of course they find sneaky ways of getting around age and gender questions.
And then of course, there is the required ‘thoughtful and compelling’ cover letter that must accompany your resume. This of course is supposed to show that you have read up on the organization and demonstrate how you can use your experience and skills in a manner particular to their needs.
Oh and of course, it has to be a short, brilliantly written narrative that engages the reader from the onset!
I do put effort into these letters, thinking about a strong first line, interesting additions to my profile as a candidate and making sure it is readable and proofed to perfection. However, after sending them out, they disappear into the mist, apparently unread and never seen by other human eyes.
The most discouraging is to receive an immediate rejection by return mail, by that I mean within 2 seconds! I had applied for a position through an on-line form and eventually received an email asking me to submit more information and of course that compelling cover letter. Encouraged I sat down and spent time preparing what I thought was a smart and well put together package, compiled everything in a new email and hit send.
My rejection response arrived within 5 seconds.
WTF!
That’s some serious Computer AI to be able to determine my inappropriateness so quickly!
I Want To Work
I love what I do and I’m very good at it.
I came into fundraising for the second part of my career, stepping into an arena about which I knew almost nothing. The learning curve was steep but so worth the effort.
Each job has taught me, broadened me and extended me. From Assistant Development Director, to Development Director, through Executive Director to President and CEO, the years of learning have given me the experience to not panic when something goes awry, how to weather the storm, how to see and hear even the softest voices of the clients and members.
My subsequent Consulting practice has exposed me to organizations with a diverse set of specific needs and challenges, further extending my experience.
I want to work…
…to help an organization run more efficiently, raise more funds and make the strongest impact possible.
I hear complaints that there are too few development and nonprofit executives, that there is too much turnover or the hiring pool is too limited. I submit that this maybe because a large segment of the candidate pool are automatically eliminated by virtue of age.
An old saw, yes, but true as ever.
Competition Is Great, Until It’s Not
Competing for a job is fine, finding the best candidate for the company ought to be paramount. But it’s the not even getting a chance to compete that bothers me:
- Being set aside because I graduated from college before 2000 bothers me.
- Being interviewed by a computer bothers me.
- Being utterly blown off really bothers me.
It’s really frustrating to want work, to know the need is out there — a need I know I can fill — and not even get the opportunity to try.
If I am not qualified, if I don’t have a particular skill, if my location is not in the right county, that’s fine, seriously — it is! But, if I have taken the time to read your job description, filled out the form, sent along a thoughtful and compelling letter of interest and even scheduled an interview time, please do me the courtesy of following up - one way or the other, one method or the other.
To Those That Don’t Even Bother To Acknowledge Anything
Really? You can’t even set up a basic email saying you received the application. That’s pretty weak.
It has been said that a true measure of a person can be taken by how they treat someone who can do nothing for them. Considering that all the organizations I do apply to are nonprofits, those that don’t bother to respond do reveal a bit about their culture and not in a good way. And for sure, they fall right off my donor list forever.
It’s a shame, some of them are organizations I had supported and liked. However, if you don’t respect the process enough to even acknowledge me, there are lots of other places to give.
And Before You Ask…
Nobody calls tech support without doing all the basic steps first and yet of course they still make you jump through the hoops: yes I’ve closed the browser window, yes I’ve tried a different browser, yes I’ve turned it on and off again and rebooted the bloody router!
I adopt the same approach to my search:
- Networking: check
- Job Boards: check
- Online courses: check
- Webinars: check
- Seminars: check
- Volunteer: check
- Pro Bono : check
Frustration
This essay is borne of the frustration that trying all the obvious and clear suggestions has not been fruitful. I suspect that I am no different than lots of people: sitting on the sidelines with tremendous skill, experience and talent with the exception of the fact that my superpower is that for some reason people can’t seem to see who I am or what I have to offer — it’s like I’m wearing a disguise!
Having Said All That…
Ranting and venting is cathartic, but there has to be more, some idea of a plan. You can’t win if you don’t play, so giving up is not an option. As they say, resilience is falling down 7 times, getting up 8.
The only thing I can do is keep going, keep applying, keep writing “compelling” cover letters and have faith that one day — preferably soon — the right person will see beyond the years and algorithms.
But what can others do?
Well — how about simply following up with people who have applied for your position? Why not be the one who shows that applicants deserve some basic courtesy for the time and effort they put into applying? After all, there is something in it for you — as the great Maya Angelou said:
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
You never know who or how an individual may impact your organization in the future.
So, is it personal? In lots of ways, it very much is, but I try to remember that to others, it may be only business.
Image Credits
Two Crickets — Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Hutomo Abrianto on Unsplash
Photo by Rock’n Roll Monkey on Unsplash
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Photo by Rafaela Biazi on Unsplash
Photo by Braydon Anderson on Unsplash
