Dear Witty talks to Discouraged
Dear Witty,
I’m a product manager struggling to land a new job after almost three months of searching. I’ve applied to over 100 openings local and remote, gone through more than several interviews and a few on-sites, but there hasn’t been a match. It’s difficult not to feel stung with every rejection. How long is the average job search for a WoC in tech? Should I be considering a different career path?
- Discouraged
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Dear Discouraged,
We commend you for having the sheer stamina it takes to apply to so many roles and the resilience to continue your search. It sounds like you’re putting in a lot of work. We imagine it is incredibly frustrating to not see the desired results (i.e. an offer) from all of your effort.
The job search in general is a tough one — never mind being a double minority (identifying as a woman and a person of color) in the tech industry. Many career websites use their data to determine the average job search duration per category; the least amount of time cited is 6 weeks (for an entry level role) to 12 months (for an executive level role). If it helps, the average answer seems to be about 5-6 months. But this doesn’t mean much overall — everyone’s experience is unique. If you’re looking for a particular industry, culture fit, role, etc… it takes time.
From a statistical standpoint, you are at a disadvantage. The 2019 PDXWIT State of the Community Survey reveals many of the current struggles our community members face. The State of Oregon Employment Department cites that racial and ethnic diversity in Portland is way below the national average for a city its size — and this is reflected in its workforce and pay. Mac Prichard (consultant and founder of local job board Mac’s List) explains the PDX job market in a 2018 article: “Portland’s professional community has diversity and access problems.” In addition, every year the Anita Borg Foundation does a study around diversity in technology focusing on women in particular. This past year, the 2019 study indicated an increase in women in tech and women of color in tech — positive news! However, the study also cites that attrition is higher for women (than men) in tech. This can be for several reasons, including not feeling a fit within the workplace, discrimination, wage disparity, sexual harassment, etc. There are unique barriers for women of color in tech as indicated in the ASU Women of Color in Computing Collaborative (a group that develops, tests and scales interventions with research gleaned from groups around the USA). They identified barriers of entry and various discrimination issues for WoC in tech organizations in this 2018 infographic. Through their work, they hope to increase participation and retention of WoC in the tech field by educating employers on the positive impact of diverse teams and leaders, reducing hiring bias, making employee resource groups available, providing pay, leave, and other financial incentives, and creating sponsorship or mentorship programs for women of color and other disenfranchised groups.
All that said, there is hope. Now, back to your specific job hunt query...
One concern with regard to what you mentioned was the sheer number of roles to which you have applied. Are you putting in equal care and effort into each application? While it is fantastic to keep your options open, are you applying to roles that make sense for you? Are you sending out a bunch of applications because you need a job or because you truly want to work in each of these orgs?
It is obvious you’re doing something right because you are indeed getting interviews! If the company or role truly isn’t a fit, it’s probably for the best that you do not accept an offer. If you feel like it is a fit, there are some things you can do to enhance your chance of having your resume reviewed by the right set of eyes to get you in the door:
Are you taking advantage of your networks? Those folks who were previously employed, are currently employed or have friends/family in an org you’re eyeing? Check your LinkedIn as an easy first step, then reach out to all those networks in which you interact with folks regularly like volunteer, professional, extracurricular, local bar/cafe, hobbies, caregivers, sip and paint friends, concert bathroom-line buddies (it’s a thing!), neighbors, previous schoolmates, folks from your alumni network, your commute friends, etc. Talk about the org or the role you’re looking for! You don’t have to make it weird, just make it casual — you never know to whom you’re speaking!
Before a role even becomes available, ask for informational interviews with folks from orgs that you would like to work with. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Simply find something you have in common with them (an industry, hobby, previous employer, alum network, LinkedIn friend, etc) and ask them to coffee/tea/whatever for 20 minutes. People are generally happy to meet and if even if they’re not, the worst you’ll get is a polite declination. Informational interviews help you get to know the org a bit from someone with a firsthand perspective. They also help you create a connection to a person who can give you a heads up when a role comes up (if there isn’t already one posted). And this also helps you build your network with like-minded folks in your industry or role of choice. You should also offer them something, whether it be a gander into your network or some advice or time when they need it.
Do you have a support network? Has anyone looked at your resume or given you some feedback on your materials or search tactics? It doesn’t have to be a coach (but here are a few options if you’re looking for one). It can be anyone in your friend group, friends from previous workplaces, family members, folks from professional development orgs, your buddies (or mentor) from PDXWIT, or any number of organizations for women or people of color (did you know PDXWIT has a BIPOC in tech group?). It is so helpful to ask people you know and trust for assistance. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel: just ask them what they did to land a role!
Please feel free to take a break from the job search if you’re able to. Another option could be to consider a different career path, but that will not change the fact that a job search is going to be difficult no matter how you slice it. Just know that you are not alone in your frustration. There are some (un)fortunate realities in any job hunt. Some roles are filled internally and organizations often require the job be posted anyway. That sucks, and it feels like a waste of time to even apply. Unfortunately, unless you know someone within the organization, you won’t be able to tell when this is happening. This is why networks are so important! We hope that these statistics and suggestions help you feel a bit more encouraged. Good luck on your job search and please keep an eye on the comments below for more suggestions.
Readers, if you have suggestions for Discouraged, please comment below! We would love to hear from you.
In solidarity,
WITTY
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