The job hunt: coping with rejections

In this post, I talked about how I landed a job offer. Today, I want to tackle my job-hunting process chronologically, which I divide into two major phases, starting with phase one. The first phase is characterized by the first round of interviews, which only led to rejections. The second phase is the second round of interviews, which led to more interviews, and eventually led me to two job offers.

This post will focus more on pre-, during, and post-phase one. I will talk about the first three interviews I was able to go through:

• what my options were,

• how I followed up on my applications and,

• how I reacted with rejections.

The job search

During the first three months of the job search upon arrival in France, I was never invited for an interview. I either received an outright rejection or eerie silence. Naturally, I started to question myself. Moreover, I also began to criticize my surroundings, blaming it on the fact that I was a foreigner or didn't speak good enough French. Even with an advanced degree from a French institution, it will never be enough. There was a lot of self-doubt and hatred to the point that I almost gave up. (I briefly considered changing careers which I mused about here.)

Later, I realized that during the first few weeks, I had other serious things in mind, like working on my migration/legal documents. Consequently, I wasn't applying for positions and companies/institutions that best fit my experience, skills, or preferences. Moreover (and this reason comes up every time I share my woes with close friends), this is an exceptional time in our lives made difficult by lockdowns and the pandemic.

It was only in March that I really took the job hunt seriously and gave it my full attention and energy. I was finally able to do this because I was slowly taking ground, and my papers were done (most of it anyway). As a spouse of a French citizen, my long-stay visa allows me to enjoy certain privileges, such as working full-time without restrictions (source). This means that I can engage in whichever job contract I wish.

Auto-entrepreneur, CDD, CDI

My options were to go freelance (auto-entrepreneur), go for a contractual position (CDD)*, or a permanent position (CDI). The most ideal of which, at least for me, was to get a CDI. However, I also recognize that getting a CDI would be like reaching for the stars. Hence, I did not set aside opportunities to go freelance or go for a CDD to get the ball rolling for the first year.

* A CDD is renewable only twice. The length of a contractual position varies. Some jobs are for only a month, others for six months, while others are for 12 months or longer.

The first round of interviews

From late March to early April, I started to receive invitations for interviews for the following positions. I wrote about how I turned the wheel around and started to get my CV noticed by recruiters in this post.

1. CDI Administrative Assistant

   Where: International Secretariat of an NGO
   Recruitment process duration: 2 months

   This was for a bilingual position. I sent a CV and a cover letter in English and French via ProfilCulture sometime in mid-February. I got an email for an interview in mid-March. I almost did not receive this invitation, if not for a follow-up email for an erratum. As it turns out, my mail filtered the message to my spam folder! Since then, I would regularly check my spam folder for essential emails that might mistakenly get rerouted. 

   The first interview was via video conference, which lasted for an hour. I was interviewed by the director and the personnel I was to replace. A few days later, I received another email for a second interview on their premises. There, I met two other colleagues and visited their offices in this lavish building in the suburbs of Paris. It was a pleasant exchange. I saw myself working with the team in this ambiance and for the NGO's advocacy. This is why I was just so disappointed when I received a phone call at the end of the same week. Through this phone call, it was announced to me that they chose to hire the other candidate citing that s/he was "more comfortable with (the) language."

   I can imagine how hard it must have been for them, too, to reject someone equally qualified. Even harder to come up with a legitimate reason other than "we had to choose one".

   In an effort to make me feel better, the director told me that out of 100 applications they received, I made it to the group of the lucky seven who scored a first interview and the top three who got a second interview. As disappointed as I was, I know they mean well, and it all really just boils down to having to choose one out of the three. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't my time.

2. CDD e-Learning language course designer

   Where: a B2B online language school 
   Recruitment process: One to two weeks
   
   I sent my CV for this contractual position via Indeed. The next day, I missed a call from the HR office with a message that went to my voice mail. I called them back a few minutes later. This phone call came the next day when I had my interview at the NGO (see n°1). Good thing I have been practicing and am fresh from the interview-vibe because it turned out to be an ambush interview! 

   The HR officer consecutively scheduled an on-site interview with the project leaders the following day. I'm going to be terribly honest as to say that I really screwed up the discussion. First, I don't think I understood the missions of the position well enough to put forward relevant experiences I had. Second, as I was highlighting and expounding on my strengths with an outrageous but illustrative example (because you also want to stand out), one of my interviewers burst out an inappropriate and premature reaction. She laughed. Hard. And it was a mean laugh, not an innocent chuckle. I felt judged. And I thought it was not only unnecessary but also improper. Not only was I discouraged to continue, but that also gave me a bad feeling about the ambiance of working with them. Despite what-seemed-to-me-as the screw-up, I still believe I was able to carry out the interview with much professionalism.

   I was given a test after the interview. It was a 40-minute test to come up with a complete study unit for an intermediate-level module.

   I did not hear from them for another week. I had to email to ask for the status of my applications. Two days later, they replied that they found another candidate for the position. 

   Suppose I was given a job offer for this position. In that case, I would've still thought twice, considering the ill-suited reaction during the interview. I would've wanted to work for them, even if this were only a contractual position. It was a multicultural team, a remote opportunity, and I was highly skilled and experienced in the tasks. It would have opened so many doors and opportunities to evolve in the domain closely related to my degrees for the future. 

3. Freelance remote language teacher

   Where: a private language school in Australia

   Recruitment process: One to two weeks

   I saw this offer in FLE.fr. It clearly said that they were looking for a native French speaker. I am clearly not one. However, I fit perfectly in the other criteria.

   As I am vehemently against scraping non-native speakers the opportunity to teach a language, I ignored this criterion and decided to send my CV anyway. I knew I was utterly qualified, regardless of my birth origins. Nowhere in my CV did I include my origins or nationality because it is technically illegal for recruiters to base their decisions on the applicant's nationality. Alternatively, I proudly noted that English and Filipino were my mother languages, with French coming to a close second (fluent/proficient). Additionally, I have certifications and advanced degrees in reputable institutions to back up my credentials. 

   I surprisingly got a call from the owner of the school. So, I told myself: this is actually good news. This school is actually open to all profiles! However, I soon learned that their main selling point is unfortunately heavily dependent on "native speakers," as is ubiquitously present in their website.

   During the amicable interview, I asked how my "non-native-ness" could affect my application. After all, the interview is to gauge if I, as a candidate, fit the position and the institution and if their values fit mine. The owner handled the question fairly by asserting that their marketing strategy relies on the instructors' French-speaking-native-ness. Still, they are not closing any doors for possible development or changes.

   I did not hear from them for one week. When I followed up with an email, they replied that they hired another candidate but are keeping my profile in their records for future references.

For these three rejections, amidst my disappointment, I still mustered the courage to respond obligingly. Why? For many reasons, but mainly because they spent time and energy going through my application, actually meeting me, and having a decent exchange. I think they deserve to receive the same amount of respect from me, the same way they displayed while dealing with my application. Finally, it also serves as a way to close this mini-chapter in my first job-hunting phase. Who knows, maybe we will cross paths again in the future! It's always better to end on a good note despite a bitter decision. My go-to thank-you email (modifiable) after a rejection is:

Bonjour,

Merci pour votre retour à propos de votre décision par téléphone. Malgré le fait que je sois déçue de ne pas avoir été retenue pour le poste, j’apprécie le temps que vous avez passé pour étudier et considérer ma candidature.

 Si mon profil ne correspond pas à celui que vous recherchez actuellement, je tiens à vous réitérer mon vif intérêt pour votre organisation et je serais ravie de pouvoir l’intégrer si de nouvelles opportunités venaient à se présenter dans le futur.

 C'était un véritable plaisir de vous avoir rencontré. Je vous souhaite une bonne journée !

Coping with rejections

This goes without saying that, as somebody who spent blood, sweat, and tears going through the eye of a needle and in the end, having to bear no fruit from all these efforts, I sulk in bed for days. I still go about my day and let myself lament. However, I don’t think life never meant for me to quit. And so, after a few days of slowing down, I shrug off the feeling with a stretch (or yoga), a walk, a nice, indulging meal, and some ranting to the Husband or to friends, then I get back in the game again.

Sometimes it takes me longer than I would want to but I learned not to rush myself. I take the time to pause, just to recharge, but never to quit.

Do you reply to rejection emails after interviews? How do you bounce back after a rejection?

In my next post, I will be talking about phase two of my job hunting process. In this phase, my phone was ringing off the hook for days!