Job searching is like an AU

There are probably people who enjoy searching for a job. I'm not one of them. I've just wrapped up a job search, and still have my sanity intact -- mostly. Looking back on the process, I can relate my experiences to writing a story, particularly a fanfiction alternate universe (AU) story.

First, there's the tweaking of characters for the AU. We start with the real me. Canon me. Then there's interview me. It's not that I'm pretending to be someone else, but that for the job hunt I'm placed outside my usual setting. For a period of a short story (ten-minute phone screen) or a novel (a day-long interview) I'm meeting new characters and trying to present a version of myself who's more articulate and more comfortable with bragging about how magnificent I am, while still managing to come across as humble rather than annoying.

Occasionally others step into an AU with me. For instance, in some cases an interviewer introduces a role play where we each enact different characters in a scenario meant to test my skills. Others try to come across as more excited or informed about the job than they really are, and part of my challenge is uncovering the truth about them and the work environment. It's like I'm trying to solve the mystery of what they really want, and if that is something I can provide. The friendlier recruiters provide clues to that mystery.

Other recruiters add to the mystery, instead. That's where the unexpected plot twists arrive. These recruiters are excited to talk to you at first, telling you you're the perfect candidate. Promising that they'll definitely recommend the hiring manager select you for the next round of interviews. Telling you that the company wants to act quickly and will let you know a decision in a couple of days -- even a couple of hours. And suddenly they disappear. Then you're faced with a missing persons case. In this part of the AU, you're a detective tracking down a recruiter who's absconded with the status of your job application or interview. Days, weeks, even a month later you may finally get a status, often after significant follow-up on your part. Other recruiters are ghosts who vanish to another realm, never to be heard from again.

One particularly refreshing recruiter admitted she had no idea what the role I'd applied for entailed as it was a new job title the company had recently made up, and most of my conversation with her was describing what the role could and should be. That reminded me of playing bunnyball with Silbrith as we brainstorm story elements.

Then there's the alternate setting. Sometimes it's a virtual setting -- a phone or video call or even a written exercise. Other times I'm physically there in a new environment. Either way, I'm trying to convince someone I belong in that environment. Often that's part of a juggling act where I'm simultaneously trying to explore and understand the setting to see if I want to belong there.

Along the way there's angst. It's not just when you make the final round of interviews and then don't get selected. That isn't nearly heart-breaking enough. I'm talking about the times you were almost selected, and then there was an internal candidate submitted and the company had to pick that person. Or when you make the final round only to have the job disappear like a mirage due to budget cuts.

Most angsty for me was the first time I learned I was selected during this job search; I accepted the verbal offer and was ready to celebrate, but at the last minute the project was put on hold. At first it was expected to be a delay of a couple of days. Then a week. Then a couple of weeks. I kept checking in between interviews at other places, and even six weeks later they were still working on getting approval to move forward. The people, the location, the work and the pay were all fantastic, but I had to let it go and focus on other leads.

There are plot twists galore, of course. There are the times a recruiter says you're perfect for a job, except...

• You interviewed for a different job at the company in the last six months and therefore aren't eligible to apply for this one.
• You applied to other jobs at this company and hit the maximum you're allowed per month.
• The vendor can only submit three resumes for a given contract, and they've already reached that limit.

Another common plot twist in AUs involves mistaken identities, identical twins and so forth. I've held multiple, closely related roles in my career, and for a given interview I need to hop into a past identity, where a specific skill or job title was my defining trait. Now imagine having multiple interviews in a day, where you're jumping between identities.

Then there are continuity challenges. As a reader or writer of AUs, sometimes you hit those spots where the rules of the new universe aren't consistent, or the backstory contradicts something previously stated. In my job search, networking was where I bemoaned the lack of consistency. On the one hand, everyone says that networking is the most important step. Reach out to people. Find out if they know of jobs in their company that are a good fit for you. Ask them to recommend you. Except... Some companies disqualify you as a candidate if you've spoken to someone at the company about the role outside of the formal interview process.

At the end of the process, I received two real, non-vanishing offers. Each had pros and cons, and looking back at how I made the decision, I realize that it was a lot like evaluating two different AUs. I tried picturing myself in those two different universes. What would my daily experience be like? I imagined the commute. I considered what I knew of the characters and setting. I re-read the reviews of each AU (Glassdoor was my friend). I compared the length of the AUs -- one was a nine-month contract-to-hire and the other was a full-time job. I considered the plots in terms of the projects each hiring manager had described. In the end I picked the story/job I thought would be most fulfilling.

And now my new story begins, as the AU I selected turns into my real life...