Why Querying and Job Searching Simultaneously is Like Being Repeatedly Punched in the Face
With the exception of a few odd jobs, yours truly has been out of work since October 2011. For someone who has been working since 16 1/2, this is horrible*. The uncertainty of where the next paycheck is coming from, whether or not health insurance is happening, the meaningless-ness of TGIF. I’m sort of used to it by now and thankfully I had a 5 month reprieve from job searching, which ended 2 weeks ago.
That’s right, I’m looking for work again.
If you’ve ever looked for work, you know how aggravating it can be. You apply. You wait. You wait some more. You either get called in for an interview or you get a form response saying that they went another way. If it’s the latter (and it was a job you were salivating after) you feel the rejection on a visceral level. Yet, you go back for more.
Querying is exactly like that.
For those who don’t know, there isn’t much difference between looking for work and querying an agent. All of the job search principles apply to looking for representation. For both you need perseverance and the ability to hear no more than yes. Thick skin is a prerequisite.
No one likes hearing no. It’s a rejection. A rejection of you. You’re not good enough for Company A or Agent B. You’re worthless. You’re wasting your time. You won’t amount to anything, so why are you even trying?
When you do both searches at once, these feelings of rejection magnify. You’re no longer hearing it from one angle, but two. Your worthlessness really hits home, and soon you question whether you’re good enough for anything. You desperately want to avoid the job search, the agent hunt, these things that make you question your general awesomeness.
Yet, you step up for another round. And another. And another.
* It bears mentioning that I’m not one of those people whose identity is based off of the day job. I’m a writer, not a cashier/AA/CSR/general bad ass. Well, maybe that last thing.
That rejection is definitely tough to take and it never really gets any easier. Like you say, we just pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and give it another go.
I hope you're able to find success soon on both the job front and the querying front. I'm rooting for you! 🙂
Definitely stressful 🙁 Good luck with both – I'm sending good thoughts your way.
That does sound just like querying. Both are so tough to go through. I have my fingers crossed for you that you find a new job soon…and an agent!
Just so you know, you're not in the agent and job hunt alone. 🙂 I've been back at querying since February, when the agent I'd been working with for two years, decided he was "too busy" for me. And then to add salt to the wound, I got laid off after six years, in early March – but my technical "last day" was just yesterday (5/8). So today is my first real unemployed day, although I'm getting a rather nice severance package, so I can't complain.
But I totally agree, looking for a job is exactly like looking for an agent!
Best of luck in both venues, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the both of us!