I have spent many late nights searching for jobs, and many late nights drinking. Sometimes on the same night. While the objectives are different, the processes are very similar. And waking up hungover is not that different from getting an auto-generated “we’re sorry, but...” email in response to your resume.
Here’s how I break down the cycle:
Drinking: You start the night getting ready for a fun evening.
Job Search: You start your job search as if it is going to be an exciting adventure.
Drinking: You take that first sip (or shot) and it goes down smooth and tastes so good. Your night has begun!
Job Search: You click that “submit” button and you get a sense of pride and accomplishment. Your job search has begun!
Drinking: You leave for the bar and walk in to greet all everyone with super enthusiastic hugs.
Job Search: You walk into the interviews with so much confidence like, “hey what’s up I got this.”
Drinking: You start to get a little tipsy and you start buying drinks for everyone and dancing on the bar. Also, you look amazing.
Job Search: You know you’re qualified, you’ve applied and interviewed, you’re sure one of the jobs is yours, probably tomorrow.
Drinking: You are crying because no-one likes you and you’re too drunk to be in the bar; it is time to go home.
Job Search: You are crying and questioning all of your life decisions because you haven’t received One. Single. Response.
Drinking: On the way home, you tell the Lyft driver your entire life story.
Job Search: You email your college friends to ask why you went to school to major in something that’s so difficult to get a job in.
Drinking: You make it home and see one last glimmer of hope… a box of Cheez-Its®.
Job Search: You get another job alert email with two open positions that look promising.
And finally, you start the entire process all over again…both of them.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received that “Thanks, but no thanks” email, but I never stopped searching. Just like drinking, even the worst hangover won’t stop me from having another drink. Job searching sucks, but you know what sucks even more? Not having a job.
*We are not condoning drinking while searching for a job. However, if a beer helps with the sting of a rejection…cheers to you!
