Career Coach: Meet Victor

💡 Victor is a final year student studying computer science at the University of Lagos. It’s three months to graduation, and Victor is focused on landing an entry-level tech role. His search is not going as well as he hoped, so he makes an appointment with Fatima, a career counselor, to talk through his experience.
Read the conversation below between Victor and Fatima.

Fatima: Hello Victor, it's great to see you. What brings you to the career office today?

Victor: Hello Fatima, thanks for meeting with me. To be honest with you, I’m very very frustrated right now. I've been applying to so many jobs, over 200 actually, and I haven't gotten any interviews. I'm graduating in three months, and I'm starting to panic. My family has spent so much money on this degree. I don’t want to graduate and be back home sitting around doing nothing.

Fatima: It sounds like you’ve put a lot of effort into your job search. I can imagine how frustrating it must be not to get the results you want and how it might be causing you some stress. I’d like to better understand your job search process. Can you share more about how you approach your applications?

Victor: Well, I made a resume and cover letter last month. I had someone review it, and they said it was good. So a few days a week, I search on LinkedIn, Jobberman, and Tech Cabal, and I drop my resume and cover letter to all the software development roles. I don’t really understand why I’m not getting interviews. I even just got a rejection less than 10 minutes ago from one remote job, with Newcastle Partners. It was a remote role for a Data Automation Analyst, and I really really wanted that job. I followed the resume template your office provided. Are you sure it was a good template? Because I don’t see how it could be if students like me aren’t getting jobs.

Fatima: I understand that you may have concerns about the resume template. Before we discuss that, can you walk me through your decision-making process when it comes to applying for jobs? How do you decide which positions to target?

Victor: I basically apply to any data analyst or software development job I come across, whether it's in healthcare, finance, or tech. I’m really trying to increase my chances of finding something. I can’t be too picky.

Fatima: I see. That's a broad approach. How do you decide which locations to apply to?

Victor: I've been applying everywhere. I figure I can move for the right opportunity.

Fatima: Being open to relocation is good, but you may want to focus on remote roles or locations where you can realistically move. Some employers may not be able to support relocation.

Victor: Well, if there aren’t jobs here and I want a job, what other option do I have? You guys told us to spend time applying, and so that’s what I’m doing. I’m just following instructions here. If the companies won’t give me a chance, maybe there’s something wrong with what the career service is advising or the companies process themselves. I’m really doing everything I can here.

Fatima: I understand you are trying. How do you go about matching your skills and experiences with a given job? Are you making your application align with what the employer is looking for?

Victor: Honestly, I haven't been doing that. There's too many jobs to apply for and too little time. I just figure they'll see my experience and know I'm a good fit. My skills will speak for themself.

Fatima: I see. Tell me, for most of the applications, how have you felt about your qualifications? Do you believe you’ve been a good fit?

Victor: If I’m being honest, almost all the jobs want you to have 2 years or more of experience, even the junior ones. So I’ve just applied to everything that’s junior or mid-level. I haven’t had the experience, but I built some cool projects for my portfolio. So I’m shooting my shot. I can do great in an interview and show someone it’s worth taking a chance on me.

Coach Victor

❓ Why do you think Victor is not getting responses from companies? Is there anything in his approach that may be contributing to this? Add your thoughts in Slack here.