Katie Wedemeyer-Strombel, Ph.D.’s Post

Reflecting on the past month, I've found myself navigating the space between full-time positions. While this period can certainly be challenging, I've come to recognize the invaluable lessons that temporary and contract roles offer. Exactly one month ago, I bid farewell to my previous full-time position. Since then, my journey has been marked by milestones: 😊 Applying to over 100 job opportunities. 😥 Experiencing rejection from 18 of those applications. 😩 Finding myself left on 'read' by 3 recruiters. 😇 Engaging in 4 interviews and phone screenings. 💖 Successfully completing my inaugural contract assignment with Tews Company. These experiences have underscored the significance of temporary and contract positions for professionals. They provide an avenue for expanding one's skill set in diverse environments while offering clarity on the type of work and workplace culture that align best with long-term career satisfaction. As I continue to explore new opportunities, I remain grateful for the insights gained during this transitional phase and am appreciative of any connections anyone may be able to throw my way! 🌻

I'm not one to post about the lows of the job hunt. I don't believe in toxic positivity and "looking on the bright side." I do believe in being a light, though. I also believe in protecting myself from being misunderstood and misperceived, so I usually keep moments of exhaustion and dejection to myself and my inner circle. I can't bite my tongue on this one, though. I have now interviewed with 3 companies where the role has been "put on hold” after going through final interviews ands assignments (and, in one case, after reference checks). I’m not trying to put anyone on blast. I just genuinely can't wrap my head around going through these processes only to determine you don't have budget for the role. If anyone has any insights or explanations, please share. Help me and others in this position understand.

Month 15 unemployeed... After nearly two decades of experience in software sales, licensing, business development, compliance, learning and development, and customer success management, I am currently exploring new career opportunities. In the past 15 months, I've been diligently searching for the right role. Every day, I explore opportunities on LinkedIn, IT company career pages, and various job boards. Despite reaching the final interview round every time, I've faced unexpected challenges such as ghosting, position reorganization, budget reallocations, or shifts to onsite requirements. While this journey has been challenging, I remain hopeful and open to new career paths. I've applied for various roles that align with my skills, even if my resume doesn't have the exact job titles (which is a whole separate issue I have with this process). My resume and LinkedIn profile have been reviewed by multiple professionals to ensure they effectively showcase my qualifications. Networking has been a key focus for me. I've reached out to recruiters and hiring managers to introduce myself and build connections. While it sometimes feels like talking into a void, I believe in the power of persistence and the support of this incredible community. If anyone has advice, connections, or knows of any opportunities, I would greatly appreciate your support. Thank you for your time, and best of luck to all those who are also seeking new opportunities.

The job market is a wild place right now and I wanted to share my experience. I spent about 3 months applying before I received an offer (which is relatively quick from what I've seen, and I'm so grateful). I applied to 780 jobs. My interview rate was only 0.6%. The market is saturated with people seeking work and most applications had hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants. How can you standout for your skills and expertise when you aren't even being seen by the hiring manager? I'm still not certain what worked for me in the end, because as a job seeker you receive little to no feedback. You have no way of knowing if something is wrong with your resume, your timing, or your experience. I resorted to only applying to roles posted within 24 hours, as quickly as possible, in an effort to be on the "top of the list." I have no idea if this worked, but checking the job boards started to become an obsession. It wasn't a great feeling, but I felt like I had no choice but to play the game. If you know a job seeker, please reach out to them. Even if you don't know of any open roles, you might know of a connection that could be helpful or you could just ask them how they are doing. I know they'll appreciate the thought.

🚀 Resume Tips for Customer Service Professionals🚀 When applying for customer service roles, it’s all about highlighting the impact you've made. Numbers and specific examples showcase your contributions and will impress potential employers, helping you stand out. ✅ Instead of: "Handled customer complaints" 🔑 Try: "Resolved 50+ customer complaints per week, maintaining a 95% satisfaction rate." ✅ Instead of: "Trained new team members" 🔑 Try: "Onboarded and trained 10+ new hires, reducing ramp-up time by 20%." Your resume should reflect the difference you’ve made—whether that’s improving efficiency, building lasting customer relationships, or helping your team perform at their best. 💼 If you're ready to take the next step in your customer service career, feel free to message me! 📩

I have more companies interested in me after I stopped tailoring my resume for every job application. Roles I was qualified for were rotting in my tabs, right in front of me, and I didn't even apply to them. I was spending far too much time editing my resume for every role. So, I decided to change my approach and apply to jobs with a batch of resumes I keep on-hand for specific roles. I went from over an hour to apply to a single job to now taking a maximum of 30 minutes. I'm getting more interest now than ever for exciting roles. This little bit of validation is what keeps me going and keeps me positive. I still edit my resume here and there for positions I'm referred to, but I don't invest that time for every job. After 4 months, I'm still unemployed, but at least I'm gaining traction. That first interaction with a recruiter or hiring manager is far more valuable than spending time agonizing over rewrites. I hope everyone is surviving and thriving right now. If you're looking for jobs or were just hired, what job hunting strategy has worked for you?

What I Wish I Knew Sooner about corporate work! Despite its bad rap, I've grown to love recruiting. Looking back on my experience when joining a recruitment team, I've gathered a list of things I wish I had known earlier: 🔺You will make mistakes. 🔺Asking questions doesn't make you look stupid. 🔺Embrace technology. 🔺Some of the most brilliant minds at the company will be the worst hiring managers. 🔺You will hate and always continue to hate rejections. 🔺Make friends and read up on recruiting industry news. 🔺Work smarter, not longer. Work-life balance is needed. 🔺You'll never forget the day you get your first offer accepted. In the end, remember the impact you had on the individuals and teams. Look around once in a while and see all the faces you helped bring in and what they're now achieving. Don't take it for granted! ➡️ Is there something that you wished you had known sooner? 💁🏼♀️Hi, I'm Ximena a Talent Acquisition Professional advocating for DEI and candidate experience. 💪🏻 I specialize in elevating recruiting processes and transforming career journeys 👩🏻💻 I’m currently looking for my next role, DM and let’s chat if you think I can help you.

Job-search perspectives that nobody talks about - 1. Instead of just highlighting your direct work experience, emphasize the transferable skills you've developed that are applicable to the role you're seeking. 2. Don't just ask your connections for job leads. See how you can provide value to them first. 3. Hiring managers want to see that you're genuinely excited about the work, not just collecting a paycheck. 4. Resist the temptation to submit generic, one-size-fits-all resumes and cover letters. Take the time to tailor it to each specific role and company. 5. Don't just wait for job postings to appear. Reach out directly to companies you're interested in, even if they don't have any open positions listed. The job search process can be daunting, but don't be afraid to take the unconventional route - that's often where the most rewarding opportunities lie. If you need any 1:1 assistance from me, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Good luck with your job search!

This is my third job search in four years. While it's never easy, I've learned a lot along the way. My layoff in 2020 was a shock. The pandemic hit the travel industry hard, and I felt lost, defeated, and uncertain about my future. I applied to everything under the sun, but with little success. Thankfully, my network believed in me and helped me land a role. When I found myself on the job hunt again in 2022, the market looked very different than it did in 2020, and so did my perspective. Even though it took a lot longer to find a role, I was more intentional in my search. I didn't just think about "Will I do well in this role?" I looked at it more holistically and considered not just the role itself, but also the company culture, industry, and long-term fit. As I navigate a redundancy in 2024, I'm staying more focused and determined than ever. I won't waste my time or others' by applying to roles that aren't a good fit. And you shouldn't either!! If you're going through a similar experience, I get it. It's tough. You might feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or even a little lost. But don't give up hope. Stay positive ✨ Reach out to your network 👩💻 Be intentional and specific in your job search 💪

EXPERIENCE! How much experience do you think is enough? Let me share my recent interview experience with Digital Ocean, a company renowned for its pioneering work-from-home model due to its cloud-based operations. Known for being at the forefront of innovation, this interview was my second round, following a successful first round. I dedicated two days to preparing for this challenge, meticulously reviewing the job description, my past projects, experiences, and courses, and engaging in hands-on practice. I felt fully equipped for the upcoming interview. Originally structured as a panel discussion, only one interviewer could attend due to a scheduling conflict. The session began smoothly but soon evolved into an in-depth discussion about my resume. The interviewer asked about my experiences, leading to a series of probing, follow-up questions. The depth and professionalism of the interview process were surprising but fitting for a role that exceeded my expectations. The position required a minimum of five years of experience, a level of expertise that I fully understood only after the interview. In hindsight, I realized the importance of conducting more mock interviews to better prepare for such scenarios. Unfortunately, I didn’t advance to the next round, but the experience was a valuable lesson in understanding that preparation might not always be enough and that there’s always more to learn and improve upon. As I always believe every day is a learning opportunity, So does each interview contributes to personal growth. Having recently graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a master’s degree in supply chain management and three years of professional experience, I am currently seeking roles as a Supply Chain Manager, Supply Chain Analyst, or similar positions. If you have any leads or opportunities, I would be delighted to connect and explore them further.