Applying for Work Should Count as Work Experience

Could this simply be the sentiment of a man who is frustrated with the hunt for a new job? Possibly….yes. But hear me out. Applying for a job has become my full-time job. Like anyone who goes to work, puts in their time to the company, collects a paycheck, and returns home, job hunting requires work as well. Someone who is actively looking for a job must still put in the time, they must still do work and communicate with others, and it requires an attitude of going to work each day, and coming back home at the end.

Coming from a background in the hospitality industry, I am no stranger to long hours at work. Twelve to sometimes fourteen hour work days were considered normal in some kitchens, and it wasn’t unusual to work six to ten days straight before you had a day off. Granted, that’s one extreme, and thankfully, being self-unemployed, I get to set my own hours. From 0900-1700 each day, I log into LinkedIn and Indeed to read the latest updates from fellow engineers, find the latest job posts, and read about potential new companies to apply to. Sometime between 1200-1300 I clock out mentally and take a lunch break. After lunch and a Star Trek episode, it’s back to job applications or coding. Since I am now my own supervisor, I devise my own schedule that varies little daily. My time is split between learning new technologies and coding languages, practicing and honing the skills I’ve developed, working on projects for both my portfolio and a side-gig, and actually applying for work. These past 8 weeks have been anything but relaxing.

As I said, I may be unemployed, but I am still doing work. Each week I devote time to writing code. This is either through algorithm practice with various websites, doing code-alongs with various tutorials, or working on a project. Along with my own code, I also connect with other engineers and developers and learn about their own projects. If someone posts a question about a bug or running into a problem, I do my best to read over their work and offer possible solutions or try to troubleshoot with them. And if there’s a topic I’m trying to understand, I’ll reach out to my network and see if someone is able to help me grasp it. This has helped me develop my communication skills in a number of ways through having to explain steps I’ve taken, communicating what I understand to be the problem I may be facing, and explaining what my goal and objective are.

While employees are on the clock, employers expect them to be working. While this is traditionally easier to accomplish in a work environment, I’ve had to create said environment in my home office. It is incredibly easy to become distracted with the temptation of Netflix a mere 20 steps down the hall, or want to hang out with my wife, but to be effective I have to put myself in the mindset that I am at work. This requires the ability and discipline to be a self-starter, be able to work independently, and with little guidance, manage my time to effectively accomplish my weekly quotas of job applications and work on my projects. And it requires just as much effort to be able to then clock out mentally and enjoy my home with my wife. I may work at home, but when I’m “off work,” I also have to be the loving and supporting husband I vowed to her when we married.

As a full time job seeker, my work may not look like work to some employers. However, I’m sure there are hundreds, if not thousands of developers and engineers who are in the same position I am who would agree with me. Looking for a full time job requires the same time, work, and mindset as actually sitting in an office and getting paid. Has it been frustrating at times? Absolutely. But so is any job. And it’s this mindset; that my looking for work is work experience that keeps me going.