Up until three weeks before graduation, I was pretty sure I had my post-grad life sorted. I genuinely believed I’d continue working at the company where I’d just spent a year interning. I mean, why wouldn’t they want to keep me? I brought motivation and discipline, solved problems, and only occasionally made mini mistakes. Alas, life had other plans. Why that didn’t work out is a story for another day (and probably another blog post—stay tuned).
Right now, let’s talk about the emotional boot camp that was my seven weeks of job hunting. Spoiler alert: It was rough!
Optimism Meets Reality
The week after graduation, I threw myself into the job search with the energy of a toddler who just discovered sugar. I was motivated, confident, and maybe just a tad naïve.
“Companies are desperate for IT people!” I told myself. “I’ve worked so hard, learned so much, and I’m ready! I’ll definitely find a job in no time!”
Oh, sweet summer child.
Little did I know that job hunting isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It’s more like hiking up a steep mountain—blindfolded—while carrying a bag of rocks labeled “REJECTION.”
The Experience Paradox
Here’s the thing: I knew I wasn’t walking in with decades of experience or a portfolio that screamed “Silicon Valley prodigy.” What I did have was just a year of internship experience and an understanding of the software development fundamentals. Those sound inadequate but I have a work ethic so strong it could probably lift weights.
Unfortunately, employers don’t “see” your sparkling personality, your discipline, your enthusiasm, or lightning-fast learning skills when all they’re looking at is your CV. And that’s where I hit a wall.
Rejections started rolling in faster than I could send out applications. Not a single interview invite. Nada. Zilch. It felt like every time someone saw “1 year of IT experience” on my resume, they’d immediately shuffle it to the “thanks but no thanks” pile.
And let’s talk about this whole “3 years of experience for entry-level jobs” thing. Who invented this rule? Who hurt them? It’s like trying to get into a club that says, “Sorry, you can’t come in unless you’ve already been here.” Where exactly are fresh graduates supposed to get this mythical “3 years of experience” if nobody will hire them in the first place, duh!?
The Grind
On top of the existential crisis, writing custom application letters for every job was exhausting. And I like writing! But even for me, it started to feel like running on a hamster wheel. Each rejection chipped away at my optimism until I began questioning everything, including whether or not I should’ve just succumb to jobs outside of IT—like becoming a unicorn trainer, hah!
And yet, I kept going. Because as frustrating and demoralizing as it was, I refused to give up.
The Christmas Conundrum
By mid-November, I realized my biggest nemesis wasn’t just the dreaded “3 years of experience” requirement—it was the calendar. You see, when the holidays are around the corner, the corporate world seems to shift into hibernation mode.
Companies start saying things like, “Let’s circle back in January” or “We’ll revisit this in Q1.” Translation: “We’re already mentally at the Christmas party.” Meanwhile, I was out here, frantically waving my CV like, “Hello? It’s me! Ready to work! Hire me, please!”
But as luck (and the job-hunting gods) would have it, I stumbled upon a glimmer of hope: the Lange Nacht der Bewerbung—a.k.a., the “Long Night of Applications.” Think of it as speed dating, but instead of searching for love, you’re pitching yourself to recruiters. You get 2 minutes to convince the recruiters that you’re the perfect candidate and 8 minutes for them to test if you are the perfect match for their company before the bell rings and you’re on to the next table.
It was nerve wrecking and hectic but honestly? I rolled!
The Secret Sauce: Me, IRL
This job fair was a game-changer. Why? Because instead of being just another name on a digital application portal, I was me, live and in the flesh (LOL!). It was my chance to pitch myself before they could set my CV on to the rejection pile.
And here’s where I think the magic happened: In those brief face-to-face moments, recruiters could see my enthusiasm, feel my determination, and—dare I say it—pick up on my undeniable charm (LOL!). Okay, I might be overselling it a bit, but you get the idea.
The human factor worked in my favor. I could show them I was more than just bullet points on a resume. They could ask me technical questions right then and there to test my knowledge, and I could flex my (ahem!) coding muscles by answering confidently.
At that point, it became less about my lack of three years’ experience and more about me, the seemingly capable person sitting across from them. It was like saying, “Okay, you’ve met me. Now, do you still think 3 years of experience is that important?” Spoiler alert: for the kind of job i was applying for, the answer was no.
A Happy Ending (with a Side of Sweat)
Anyway, let’s cut to the good part. After all the rejections, frustrations, and existential questioning of “Why does entry-level require three years of experience?!”, something finally clicked.
From the Lange Nacht der Bewerbung, I got interview invitations from some companies I pitched to that night. (Apparently, my 10-minute charm offensive worked!) But here’s the absolute kicker: the very first company to invite me for an interview was the most attractive one of the bunch—the kind that ticks of all my checkboxes except for one—it is not an IT company. But honestly, all other terms and conditions were more than fine and I will be a part of their IT team so I can forgo that one unticked checkbox.
Their job interview, however, was no walk in the park. Picture a 60-minute panel interview completely conducted in German and where the panelists grilled me so thoroughly I was half-convinced they were training for MasterChef. Technical questions, situational hypotheticals, even semi-remarks and semi-questions like “You seem to have learned german pretty late, is that right?.” Ugh! After that question I regretted all the times I chose to use english over german because it made it life easier.
By the end, my brain felt like it had run a marathon twice without a break in between. But hey, I held my ground. I answered their questions with confidence and honesty. I didn’t only showcased my skills but I also admitted where I have shortcomings (Ahem, german! Ahem, legacy systems!). Most importantly though, I did my best to convince them that I was their person.
The Big Payoff
Two weeks later, I got the email (cue dramatic music). They offered me the job!
After seven grueling weeks of job hunting, countless application letters, tons of rejections, one magical speed-dating event, and one final interview, it was over. I had done it. I landed the job I wanted, and it felt amazing.