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Understanding the Question: "Don’t be so hard on yourself; it is ridiculously harder now"
Navigating the modern job market, especially in IT, can be a grueling experience. Our industry veteran with 14 years of experience in both SMBs and larger corporations shares a candid reflection. Despite holding a Master’s degree and multiple certifications, they find themselves battling an industry that has veered towards credential inflation and impossible interview standards. Let’s dive deep into why it’s incredibly challenging today and why you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.
Why the Job Market is Tougher Now
Credential Inflation 📜
- More is Expected: The bar for entry has been raised. A degree alone won’t cut it; you need multiple certifications and continuous learning.
- Certifications Galore: Employers look for certifications that require time and money, which might not even be used on the job.
Impossible Interview Standards 🧩
- Obscure Trivia: Interviews are filled with specific, sometimes esoteric questions.
- Performance Pressure: Many times, interviewers themselves wouldn’t pass their own tests!
The Need to Re-Learn Everything 🎓
- Learning Curve: As technology evolves, so does the knowledge you need. It’s almost impossible to keep everything top of mind.
- Practicality Over Trivia: Daily tasks are often filled with searching and Googling—skills that realistically mirror what you’ll do on the job.
Job Listings: A Long Scroll of Requirements 📜
Everything Under the Sun ☀️
Job descriptions today list an exhaustive number of skills and tools, making it daunting to figure out what to focus on.
- Broad Requirements: You’re expected to know a little about everything.
- Depth vs Breadth: The jack-of-all-trades approach dilutes your in-depth expertise, which used to be your main strength.
Real Talk: Admitting the Reality 💬
Bold Admittance ✊
Our industry veteran admits something crucial:
- Standard Change: Standards have changed significantly. What was acceptable before is now considered insufficient.
- Not Alone: Many seasoned professionals would struggle to meet today’s entry requirements.
Coping Mechanisms: How Not to Be So Hard on Yourself 🛠️
Embrace Continuous Learning 📚
- Stay Updated: Invest time in courses, certifications, and webinars.
- Microlearning: Focus on small, digestible learning sessions.
Leverage Your Experience 🌐
- Soft Skills Matter: Project management, team collaboration, and problem-solving are invaluable.
- Network: Regularly interact with peers to stay motivated and share knowledge.
Realistic Job Search 👀
- Look for Culture Fit: Find companies that value practical skills over trivia.
- Transparent Employers: Seek out organizations known for reasonable hiring practices.
Conclusion: The Industry Isn’t the Same, and That’s Okay 🤷
It’s essential to recognize that the game has changed, and it’s not just you finding it difficult. Credential inflation and trivia-filled interviews are new hurdles we all must face. But these obstacles don’t define your worth or capability. Instead, focus on continuous learning, leverage your extensive experience, and seek companies that understand the value beyond just certificates and trivia.
By acknowledging these changes and adapting to them, you can navigate this challenging landscape with more confidence and less self-doubt. So, take a deep breath, stay updated, and remember—you are not alone in this struggle. 🌈
Keep pushing forward. The industry might be insane, but you got this! 🚀
I just finished my first 12-month contract as a network engineer and over the last 8ish months, this is the realization I came to and it eased my nerves a little bit. I would always ask my manager questions and he’d always say he’ll get back to me. I come to find out he’s googling the answers himself. Once my manager made it clear that they aren’t looking for people who know EVERYTHING(impossible) off the top of their head, but people who are willing to learn, it took a lot of stress off of me. I’m still terrified every day but I think that’s normal. I got extremely lucky by landing in a place where management/coworkers are extremely patient, understanding, and always willing to help someone grow. How can they expect me to have the same experience as most of the people on my team who have 15,20,30 years of experience. Hell, a guy on my team just retired who’s been working here since 1967!
You can thank, in part, the morons who lie about their experience for shit like this. I used to trust the stated years of experience until I hired a guy with “five years of network experience” who I doubt had any hands-on experience at all. We let him go a couple months after we hired him & had to start over – he couldn’t do a single thing we assigned to him, including just logging into a Cisco console session.
My fault for trusting him, I guess, but now we have to do the stupid trivia questions to be sure they’re at least in the ballpark of where they say they are.