Months of rejection, then everything changed
Just sharing this for anyone who’s getting discouraged with job hunting. 🩶
I started looking because the company I’ve been with for years was acquired and ang daming nagbago after that. My role is slowly being phased out because the new company doesn’t really want offshore employees long-term.
More than the uncertainty, I think what really got to me was feeling like I wasn’t as valued anymore. After years of contributing, training people, building processes, even staying through so many changes, ang sad lang na suddenly you feel like an outcast in a place you’ve been part of for years. 😔
So I started applying.
And honestly, sobrang hirap.
There were jobs I was very qualified for that rejected me after the final interviews, some never replied, and some applications weren’t even viewed. Dumating din sa point na napapaisip ako if I’m asking for too much, if I’m doing something wrong, or if ganito lang talaga kahirap yung market ngayon.
Then, a few months later, two really good opportunities with US companies came almost at the same time.
One was shared with me by someone I used to work with. I applied, went through the process, and eventually received an offer.
Around the same time, the former CEO of the company I worked for reached out and told me someone in her network needed help and she thought of me.
That person was another executive I had worked with before who had just built a tech company. We talked for a few minutes, not really an interview, and somehow that conversation ended with an offer right away.
Parehong full-time and almost exactly the same schedule, so realistically, I had to choose.
What stayed with me most wasn’t really the fact that I got two opportunities.
It was that both somehow came through people I had worked with before.
I realized that networking isn’t always about adding random people on LinkedIn or forcing conversations.
Sometimes it’s just doing good work, being dependable, helping people, and building a good reputation.
People remember. ✨
A few things that helped me while job hunting:
- Fix your LinkedIn and make it obvious what you actually do.
- Use keywords related to your skills so recruiters can find you.
- Don’t use one generic resume for everything. Adjust it depending on the job.
- Search using different job titles because companies call similar work different things.
- Don’t rely on LinkedIn alone. Check JobStreet, Indeed, Wellfound, Dynamite Jobs, We Work Remotely, Remote OK, and company career pages.
- Don’t underestimate your existing network. Former teammates, managers, clients, and leaders you’ve worked with can sometimes lead you to opportunities you would never find through cold applications.
And probably the biggest thing I learned:
Rejection doesn’t automatically mean you’re not good enough.
Sometimes it’s timing. Sometimes it’s budget. Sometimes someone else is a better fit. Sometimes your application probably never even reaches the right person.
A few months ago, I was questioning whether I still had something valuable to offer.
Ngayon, mas iba na tingin ko sa whole experience. 🥹
So if you’re currently getting rejected, ghosted, or starting to doubt yourself, push lang.
Improve what you can. Keep applying. Keep learning. Keep your relationships good.
The work you’ve done over the years doesn’t suddenly become worthless just because one company stopped making you feel valued.
Sometimes the right opportunity comes from somewhere you weren’t even looking. 🌱
I’m very grateful for what happened to me, and sana one day ako naman yung makapag-open ng same kind of door for someone else. 🤍