Student Rant - So tired of applying for internships/part-time roles

aksharasruthi·Nov 01, 2022

Posted in:Students Elpha UK Advice Career Growth

Hey there,

I'm a master's student in the UK. I'm originally from India and have over 6 years of experience as a PMM. Sorry about the rant but living away from home, and doing my own stuff seems so lonely and anxious and to add to that, the only response I get when I apply for summer internships is a rejection autoresponder. My inbox is full of emails that state - "Sorry we decided to go ahead with someone else". I think something is wrong with my profile/resume.

How do I deal with rejections and work my way up? Please help.

annamiller·Nov 01, 2022

Hey @aksharasruthi Thanks for sharing your situation on here. It's very frustrating to receive these kind of emails, for sure. Here are a few tips to help you deal with the job search:1. Reframe your thinking of these emails as rejections2. If you're not getting invites to interviews in 3/10 applications, there is a need to revise your resume3. Your resume is a key factor is the application process and it's all about your 'fit' for a role4. The job search is not personal, as it's a business not finding your profile a match or other profiles are simply better suited, nothing to do with your experienceHope this provides a reframe to help you keep going! You can find more job search tips on my newsletter: https://growintech.substack.com/

Iynna·Nov 08, 2022

Hi Akshara, I am so sorry your experience has not been a good one. It's definitely a really really tough market to be in and even worse being international (as an international I totally empathise with you on these challenges), coupled that with being far from your loved ones. It's really hard and you're not alone, sending you a big hug! You mentioned you were a student, have you been able to take advantage of OCR, you're in a field that's hiring quite a lot (tech / product marketing) so I think the supply of jobs is not scarce.Other than that, what's been your recruiting strategy? Have you been finding roles through referral or mostly applying blind? I'd definitely recommend having an in, and remember it really is also a numbers game but you would need to be strategic about it ie. better to apply to 10 roles but all coming from strong recs or that have been really curated vs. 50 jobs from a job board with no intel!

mercedesgosby·Nov 09, 2022

Hi Akshara,Rejection doesn't feel great, but it's a part of the job hunting process.Have you joined Product Marketing-specific communities? You can connect directly with hiring managers, ask questions, get access to PMM resources, etc.The Product Marketing Alliance has a free Slack channel that is pretty active: https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/join-slack/.

navikaagrawal·Nov 09, 2022

hey I'm wondering how passionate or how much you care about or want the jobs you are applying for? Are you looking for money making oppurtunites or building up who you are and what you can do? (Both are valid, but strategies might differ). I'd be happy to talk with you about any of this. :) I'm a student too, I just got my first job. Maybe I can help?

rachelserwetz·Nov 10, 2022

Hi @aksharasruthi! If you're having any challenges with job searching, here are a few job search best practices I'd consider:- Determine what support system you have in place to help you be effective throughout your job search -- Most people feel they have to go it alone and end up guessing where to spend their time versus leveraging a coach, mentor, peer or other tools and resources to be strategic- Most importantly is understanding how/where to spend your time wisely -- its not all about the online apps but networking is a critical component, as well as balancing some time for other key activities in job search (virtual events, thought leadership, research, reflection, etc)- Determine your accountability plan to make sure you're staying on top of your goals & staying organized- Reflect on how things are going on a weekly basis to iterate & improve your approach and thus your outcomes-Be sure not to approach the job in a transactional, check-the-box sort of way -- see networking and interviews as a mirror into the job you would land and an opportunity for two-way assessment of fit- Consider how many roles/industries you're applying to-- this may be a sign that you'd want to take a step back and pursue career exploration to clarify your ideal fit direction; career clarity will help make your search more efficient, targeted, and effective- Don't ignore your self care to ensure your mindset is staying resilient during your search Additionally, I’m linking a blog on the exercises you can do each week to reflect and assess your job search so that you can strengthen your approach to more efficiently landing a fitting role — https://www.iamwoken.com/post/follow-this-weekly-reflection-exercise-to-assess-improve-your-job-searchPS, I’m Rachel, a Career Coach. I’d be happy to discuss this further if you want to hop on a call -- check my profile for how to book time with me. I’m here to help! Talk soon!