Clojurians Log v2

> How do you stay motivated My reactions on failed interviews can span from (listing 2 extremes to make a point) Woop, I didn't pass this round and this is disappointing, but that seemed an interesting company, so I might retry with them later (could be even 5 years later) to (didn't like them, bad experience, hence) argh those $YOURFAV_INSULT_HERE made me waste so much time, I'm so upset/disappointed (random swears if you are the type)_ And many mixed bag flavours in between, including cases such as: • it was a good opportunity but I really messed up 😭 • I was optimist and I liked the company, then got rejected for things like "cultural fit blah" 😡 • plenty more Not sure it ever worked for anyone else, but don't worry/don't feel bad don't work for me, 100% certified. Acknowledging my feelings, processing them, familiarise with them (which might help identifying monsters, triggers, chips on my shoulders and other nasty creatures) and taking gaps between interviews if I need it (and if I can afford that, I know that's not always the case) is not perfect, is not always blazing fast, but is a human process that can facilitate recovery and becoming better at coping with similar failures next round. Something else that helps keeping things in perspective is never forget that interviewing is a bit of a lottery. How many times • I felt I 100% nailed that interview, but got rejected • (the other extreme) not my best interview, but I got an offer and it feels a bit WTF For how is difficult for something so personal and important like searching for a job, it's good to try to keep some distance and reminding ourself that things that happen, well, they don't always make sense! 😄

Well I find income to be pretty motivating especially since you cannot live a nice life without it where I am from…. 😂 but on a more lighthearted note I just keep telling myself I will find the right fit because if those companies reject you then it was not the right fit for you anyways (:

Motivation can be hampered by the perception of failure. However, failing to hire someone, when it is considered a failure, is most definitely a collective failure. Interviews are driven by many outside factors that often have little bearing on the interviewee. There are too many unknowns factored into every interview and no matter the process there is always much unconscious bias and competing motivations involved. Unless there is a well established relationship between all parties involved, the interview interaction is largely meaningless. So I review my own performance dispassionately and take what ever changes I think may be useful on to the next interview. I avoid dwelling on any particular interview and focus on what I can learn from the next interview experience. So the only perception of failure I will consider is giving up and going to work at a fast food restaurant (I have actually done this as a job, but only to pay for college tuition fees)

I think it also helps to remember that this is "a numbers game" and there are usually a huge number of candidates applying to any given position -- so nearly everyone will get rejected from nearly every job application. It's nothing personal. Early this year, we opened a req for a junior React.js dev. We had over 100 applications. We rejected about 50% at the resume review stage, then about 50% of the rest at the HR screening call stage, so we did engineering interviews with about 20 or so candidates, and that got things down to a shortlist of maybe 3 or 4 candidates, and a couple of those moved on to business team interviews. So over 100 candidates got rejected for a variety of reasons. Some of those candidates would be a great fit for other organizations -- it's nothing personal.

Last time I applied and got hired to a Clojure job, I applied to maybe 14 companies, got callbacks and interviews with 4 of them, and had 1 offer. So I also recommend viewing it as a numbers / solar array of opportunities. Compared to Java or something where workers are easier to find and the quality is not as strong as Clojure across the board, you may have to interview at 100 places, get 30 interviews, and of that get 7 offers from which you can now leisurely choose

I know it's easy to give advice to someone when in different shoes, but try changing your mindset about it. Failures and mistakes should not discourage us; we should embrace and celebrate them. Every setback is an opportunity for growth. After all, what is the path to success but the road of many failures? I remember the time when I got laid off and spent over two months struggling to find a new job. I failed dozens of interviews. Out of the more than two hundred applications I sent, I did not even receive a response from a human being. It was a stressful and discouraging time, but looking back, I am glad it happened. I learned valuable lessons during that period. Failed job interviews should be celebrated. I am serious. Think of them as a part of your portfolio. Wouldn't it be cool if in addition to a regular résumé, people carried a list of interviews they have failed? Even though it may be disheartening at that moment, someday you will be glad that you did not get that job. Ask any expert, and they will probably tell you that they do not regret being rejected by a company. Nobody says, "My life would've been better if…" Keep trying and do not feel bad. For the samurai, the path is its own purpose, without a set destination.