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Alyce
Student
North Little Rock, Arkansas
2
Questions
Asked
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Why is the job market so complicated?
As I said before, I am a non-traditional autistic college student trying to land my first paying job. Please help. Thank you.
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1 answer
David Gustafson
VP, Global Support
11
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
David’s Answer
There's a complicated answer to this with all of the details... and then there's a simple one with how to navigate it. I like to fully understand and comprehend things that impact my life, especially something as personal and impactful as your careers. I'm drawn to complex problems, but I often approach them with a healthy amount of skepticism and doubt. However, the job market is like dating and relationships in that it's simply a coupling of two entities with thousands of possible interests and needs and likely some imperfections and incompatibilities even if they do match. There's even a metaphor in how long the two entities want or need to match for.
Companies are trying to find competent, curious, and skilled employees who are also compatible with their interests in the company. The various boards and postings and interview cycles are nuanced and confusing and not as direct as really anyone wants. Wouldn't it be great if every job had a meet-cute moment. But no, it's a noisy process with a lot of uncertainty.
At the end of the day, you won't be able to conquer it by fully understanding it. I recommend embracing that and accepting it and still moving forward without understanding every detail. This is the simple part of how to navigate it. Accept that you will do your best, that you will represent your skills as best as you can, and that you will find the company that is well suited to you - or at least close enough to be happy and do good work. Make sure you are available and persistent about who you are and your values.
Companies are trying to find competent, curious, and skilled employees who are also compatible with their interests in the company. The various boards and postings and interview cycles are nuanced and confusing and not as direct as really anyone wants. Wouldn't it be great if every job had a meet-cute moment. But no, it's a noisy process with a lot of uncertainty.
At the end of the day, you won't be able to conquer it by fully understanding it. I recommend embracing that and accepting it and still moving forward without understanding every detail. This is the simple part of how to navigate it. Accept that you will do your best, that you will represent your skills as best as you can, and that you will find the company that is well suited to you - or at least close enough to be happy and do good work. Make sure you are available and persistent about who you are and your values.