Referrals, for some reason, aren't enough

Job hunting during a recession is depressing. I've spent most of this month reaching out to people, applying for jobs and looking for ways to improve my portfolio, yet I still feel far behind. I reached out to a friend who has been in the tech industry for over 5 years and told me he had already referred me for a couple of jobs. Another mentor I had a conversation with a couple of weeks ago also referred me for a few positions so why do I still feel so hopeless?

Since the beginning of this year, I've spent every day developing one aspect of my skill or another, reading and researching different ways to have a better presentation yet I still feel so lost.

I find myself thinking about the number of layoffs that have happened this year and last year, and I try to think about the positive side that a lot of these ex-staff would decide to start building their own companies, thereby making a few more jobs available.

I know a lot of them have found themselves back on the job market seeking jobs that could pay them even a fraction of what these big companies paid and a few others have probably decided to delve into other skills and hobbies, depending on how great their severance pay was.

Referrals haven't brought me any success yet and job applications haven't been successful either, so what do I do? Give up and seek a day job?

I've mentally given myself a deadline of June this year and if I can't get anything working by then, I'll just put in applications for federal jobs and other well-paying day jobs and see how lucky I can get on that angle.

I recently rejected a job willing to pay me less than $200 monthly in a different city. It just seemed like way too much stress for such a small amount of money because I would need to relocate and probably rent an apartment after living with my friend for a while. It didn't just seem like a worthwhile offer in the long run.

I'm currently doing the best I can. I'm putting in a whole lot of effort and while a part of me feels like I might be expecting too much too soon, another part of me feels really unlucky.

I don't know how this year is going to turn out but I have to admit that the energy, enthusiasm and positivity I had at the beginning of the year has begun to fade and the fear of all possible outcomes has begun to set in. I just need some good news to keep me going.

About Me

Hi, my name is Karina and I'm a Product Designer. I love to write about my design process and random cool ideas I have as they come. I'm also always job hunting and looking out for projects I can collaborate on so if you'd like to work on something together, you can contact me and also check out my portfolio;

Email: [email protected] Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/karinalovet

Posted Using LeoFinance ^Beta