Jennifer McMahon
- Jennifer McMahon is job hunting for the first time in 20 years.She said more competition and a lengthy interview process have changed the job-search landscape.McMahon said her AI knowledge has helped, along with a job coaching service and networking.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer McMahon, a Gen X job seeker based in Connecticut. Her employment history and identification have been verified by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
About five months ago, I was informed that my organization at Google was getting moved to Mexico City.
I felt like the rug was ripped out from under me. I've been working in marketing and sales enablement continuously for over 20 years, and it's been so long that I've forgotten the feeling of not working.
The job market has also changed. Gen X was always told, "No bragging, let your work speak for itself." That's not the case anymore. You have to put yourself out there now, and it's uncomfortable and new for me.
The volume of applicants has also increased. I'll look at a job that was posted 10 minutes ago, and there are already 100 people who have applied. So that's kind of freaking me out, as I don't know how I'm going to showcase my value when there are thousands of applicants.
There are also fake jobs being posted out there for phishing purposes. So, I'm often like, "Is this job real?"
The interview process itself has also shifted. I've gone through several interviews where I have to build a presentation. I'm like, "Whoa, I'm not a CEO." I'm not going for the highest-level position here, but it's still super competitive.
It's been tough. It's been a roller coaster. I'm not a job-hopper, and in this process, I've realized that I'm a control freak. It's been challenging to surrender and just trust, but I have to have faith that I'm going to find the right position.
I haven't landed anything yet, but these three things have helped improve the process.
1. AI knowledge
Having had the opportunity to work at Google has definitely been a blessing for my résumé. I think it makes a difference because of how tech- and AI-forward the company is.
I've been trying to look at the job hunt as an opportunity to continue to grow and learn new technologies. ChatGPT has helped me come up with an elevator pitch and I even generated a NotebookLM podcast on myself by putting in my profile and résumé. After listening to the podcast, I was like, "Wow, I am good at this."
For one interview, I even used AI to build a one-pager prototype concept of what an AI coach would entail. It's so incredible right now what you can build with AI. I was like, "Hey, I haven't done this type of training before, but look what AI can help your company do, and here's the prototype."
I think I have a little advantage due to my experience with AI, and I think people want to hear that.
2. A job coach
One of the benefits of working with Google is that they'll help you with the transition for six months if you don't find a new role internally. I've had an incredible benefit from that experience.
The service they provide helped optimize my résumé and provided me with a one-on-one job coach. The company also offers resource hubs and webinars with recruiters so you can ask them questions about what they're looking for in candidates.
We also have a weekly group meeting where people get together, share stories, and try to uplift each other. It's sort of like a community of folks in the same situation, and it's been really helpful.
3. Years of experience
Networking has to be the most important piece right now.
If someone doesn't come in with that, "Hey, we know Jen, she's good at what she does," I don't think I'm getting that call back. Since the end of June, I've applied for about 25 external roles, and I've been able to get about seven interviews out of that. I got referrals on all except for one.
After 20 years of industry experience, I'm able to rely on my network to be supportive, helpful, and put in a good word.
