This may seem like an odd subject for a career blog, but stick with me for a moment. I think it’s interesting.
I’ve seen many situations with job searches and employee searches where things get quite, well, testy.
Admittedly this is an emotional situation for everyone, because you’re basically putting the future (of your career, or of your company) in someone else’s hands. So people worry, and less-than-positive behaviors start coming out.
Here’s an example: It’s really common to submit job applications to companies and get absolutely no response. Yes, it’s a regrettable behavior, but I can also relate to what the company is experiencing. They posted a job opening, and got over 1000 responses (seriously!). Trying to formulate any kind of personalized response is impossible at this point – remember, they’re shorthanded.
That’s not a great excuse, yes, but it is a bit understandable. As a result, though, I see many job applicants who decry this phenomenon far and wide, and generally let it ruin their month.
It’s kind of like when I drive down the road and encounter a detour around construction. It’s inconvenient, and can even be an outright pain. But if I take it personally and let it ruin my week, well, that’s really just a choice I’m making.
Better to have a bit of compassion and realize that road construction is a part of living in our society, and focus more on things where I can actually make a difference.
When a hiring company doesn’t treat you well, you have every right to take that as a data point – it may indeed be an indication of what it would be like to work there.
But realize that, on the whole, people are usually just doing the best they can. Life isn’t always convenient and set up to make you happy.