Enters : the competition

The warm up–phase is definitely over and the race has started.
Who has already had first interviews ?
Who’s already in the kingdom of round two / three / four ?
Who got an offer and who didn’t?
Anyone a signed contract yet ???
I don’t like the atmosphere that comes with it, even if I’m only watching it from the sideline. Maybe it’s also because I’m on the sideline, that I’m convinced that everybody will find the right job sooner or later, and that the MBA will pay off one way or the other.

Another nasty side effect is the way sponsored students are perceived this period. And although I don’t like competition, I certainly get into defense-mode when I here comments like « a year’s holiday for them ». P is sponsored. And it sure as hell hasn’t been a holiday. I totally admit that at this moment there isn’t the same pressure to find a job. But whereas others spend a lot of hours writing cv’s, cover letters and doing interviews, P is spending at least the same amount of time helping others with all those things. He’s got more (mock-) interviews planned these weeks than your average recruiter. There are more cv’s in his mailbox than there were in mine before I left my job. Like all the rest, he’s going to a lot of company presentations, and doing some interviews, to make sure he’s making the right choice. And when he (most likely) goes back, there will be the huge pressure to perform and get that promotion within the following year. So much for a holiday. He has worked ridiculously hard the past months, he’s helping others so much that I’m getting angry at him (‘cause no time left for me), and I love him. I rest my case.

Once again, I admit that, in spite of being top of the food chain on the job market, these are stressful times for the ones who don’t have the “luxury” to go back to their previous jobs (and stick with it for the following two years if you want to benefit 100% from the sponsoring-deal). Hell, I even get nervous about other partners’ partners. I feel genuinly happy when an interview went well. I feel upset if somenone didn’t get an offer. I wish I could walk up to my HR colleagues and tell them that they’ve all deserved it, so just give them the goddamn job they want. But the game has to be played. So let’s keep it fair, let’s encourage and help, and let’s value and respect the whole team, be it active players, bench sitters, coaches, fans and, last but not least : cheerleaders ;-)