Post Traumatic Job Hunting Disorder
Job hunting can be a very traumatic experience
Image Credit Ziyaad Plaatjes
"Unfortunately, you did not make the shortlist."
If I were hanging by a thread, this sentence would be my scissors.
It seems to be difficult for anyone to comprehend the reasons behind the co-founder of iloveza.com applying for jobs ... but why?
My husband and I started this particular business (iloveza.com) as a result of many years of rejection letters. Both of us are university graduates with extensive knowledge and experience, but we were always unsuccessful in securing a job that would allow us to use our talents - and we tried ALL the so-called job hunting/ recruitment channels for almost 20 years.
iloveza.com was founded in 2015 with the idea to help create sustainable employment for ourselves AS WELL AS OTHERS; but when you are NOT funded by a group of shareholders, a larger organisation, from another source of income (for example, many who have startups have their spouse earning a salary to pay their essentials, so they can focus on their business, but sadly not in our case), or even from your "life savings"; the dream takes much longer to become a reality when it is built solely on the blood, sweat, and tears of two individuals bootstrapping day-to-day.
While Ziyaad (my husband and co-founder of iloveza.com) and I build a future for our son and the next generation one brick at a time, the cost of living goes up but we still need to pay it to... well, live.
We need to ensure that our rent is paid to have a roof over our heads every month, we need to nourish our bodies and most importantly, we need to see to the needs of our child, which includes educating him.
COVID hasn't made our situation any easier, so it was time for me to jump (more actively) back into the job pool.
After applying almost everywhere, constantly, and not receiving a response, I finally received a positive response.
Last week Friday a potential employer called and asked if I would be comfortable with an online interview later that day (in a few hours).
Naturally I jumped at the opportunity, and I tried to prepare for my interview within the limited hours, but I stressed about it before, during, and for many days after - as this was my first interview in an extremely long time (it's been years).
It was nerve-racking, as I couldn't remember what a job interview experience was like, let alone a virtual job interview - I'm usually the one asking the questions when I interview our local (and sometimes international) talent for iloveza.com
The CEO of the company who interviewed me was very professional and emailed me yesterday to deliver the verdict - I was not shortlisted.
Although she went on to say that I am a strong candidate and that "it was an honour to meet me" (and a few praises for the work that iloveza.com and myself are doing), I was utterly devastated.
The remuneration was not a lot but that constant monthly income would have assisted, especially since the last few months have been very dry financially.
I was hoping that this would be the opportunity for me to be able to get out of this constant struggle and hopefully get my family back on their feet, at least to make sure that our basic needs were met, without constantly stressing every day (especially towards the end of the month).
I cried and cried and I am still crying as I write this, and...
This morning I woke up feeling numb inside.
I know I should not give up because I know The Almighty has a plan.
Even though, for years we've struggled (and through the selfishness of others - but that's a story for another day - if I do get around to sharing our experiences throughout the years), our business somehow, by The Grace of The Almighty is viewed as "successful" in the eyes of others, and some companies do appreciate the hard work that we put into iloveza.com, and see the value of having their products/ services advertised on our platforms (website and social media) and people in general love the information which we constantly provide.
In the mean time if you would like to assist, please share this image below or e-mail howzit@iloveza.com for us to assist you with your Digital Marketing and Advertising needs.
We are also looking for people to sell Digital Advertising space - so if you want to make more than a few extra bucks, please do email us as we have a very high commission structure in place.
*** If there are certain mistakes, please note that this is because my work has been unedited, and it's entirely my thoughts or opinions that do not reflect those of iloveza.com's ***
|
Like What You've Read ? Be an Anonymous Angel
CLICK HERE for the latest News & Trends
Keep up to date with all that is happening in South Africa
with iloveza.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our Weekly Digital Advert Only Pamphlet
Follow @ilovezacom on
#iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #AfterFajrGrind
|
|
Nabihah Plaatjes is the Co-Founder of iloveza.com. She is an Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Change Agent, Published Contributing Author, Journalist, Marketing and Social Media Specialist, a Bachelor of Arts graduate, and has been writing since the age of 9. Nabihah is passionate about Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty and uses her knowledge in these fields together with her copywriting, editing and proof-reading skills to bring brands to life. iloveza.com is a primary example of how she can build your brand. Find her at: Instagram: @nabihah_dp / @ilovezacom Twitter: @nabihahd / @ilovezacom Facebook: iloveza.com LinkedIn: Nabihah Plaatjes / iloveza.com YouTube: iloveza.com SoundCloud: iloveza.com E-mail: nabihah@iloveza.com |
