I remember a time around 9 years ago when I went on 12 job interviews in about an 11-month period. 12!

And had ZERO job offers to show for it.

I’d leave the interview (in some cases, round 3 or 4) feeling like it “went well” but then inevitably I’d hear crickets until I reached back out to them only to hear that they ‘went another way.’

In one case, I interviewed for a job and left thinking they loved me, only to later find out that they’d hired my coworker who, it turns out, had also applied for the job.

All the rejections hurt, but that one hurt most because I knew first-hand that the person who got the job didn’t have as much experience or skill in the required areas as I did.

It was beyond frustrating, and actually quite depressing.

Even more frustrating and depressing? Not being able to figure out what I was doing wrong. So I began to second-guess everything about myself.

(See, I was way beyond trying to convince myself that I wasn’t the problem. After all, all those employers couldn’t be wrong, RIGHT?!)

I’d go over the interview with friends and mentors, but they couldn’t help me. They simply kept telling me that “You’re great” and saying, ‘what is meant to be will be’ and other maddening phrases that I was so tired of hearing.

I just wanted out! And the longer it was taking to get OUT, the more desperate I became. Which, believe it or not, did not help me appear as the confident, self-possessed woman I needed to be during all those job interviews.

It took a long time – and a lot of work, reflection, and analysis – for me to finally understand where things were going off the rails and how to fix them.

When finally it came together for me, it was life-changing. Because not only could I go into job interviews with confidence (and nail them!), but from that point on when things didn’t go the way I’d hoped, I was able to objectively assess what the issues were without putting myself down in the process.

And that’s why the work I do now is so important to me. Because I know exactly how the whole ‘job thing – heck, the whole ‘career thing’ – can completely wreck you.

It can break you down so much that you seriously start to question your own worth, which can lead to accepting jobs you’re not in love with, putting up with a lot of crap you don’t deserve, settling for a salary that’s way beneath you…and more.

I’ve been there, and I don’t want that for you.

You deserve better.

If you are tired of going on interview after interview without an exciting new job offer to show for it…

If you’re starting to take those rejections personally…

I can help. Schedule time with me at www.toniapatterson.com/letstalk , and we’ll see if we’re a good fit to work together to help you get that new job.