Before I knew what the job search process was actually like, I expected that I would have to apply to 10 jobs or so before receiving an offer—a thought that makes me laugh given what I know now.
During the months leading up to graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics in spring 2024, I began thinking about what type of job I wanted to have. With the help of my 2023 summer internship at Physics Today, I knew that science communication was a good fit for me. Physics Today brought me back for a temporary position shortly before I graduated, but I knew I still needed to find a job after my time there was finished.
I turned to LinkedIn in March 2024 to find job openings. I cast a wide net, applying for jobs in writing, communications coordination, and administration for local university STEM programs. Most places never responded to my applications, although some had the grace to send me a rejection email, sometimes in the middle of the night.
After about a month of searching, I was invited to interview for a few positions. I studied each company for a minimum of two hours and practiced answering common interview questions: What is your greatest weakness? Can you tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker? What are your salary expectations?
The interview process was similar for every company: a phone screen with a hiring manager, a video interview with someone on the team, and a final video interview with a director. One surprise to me was that many companies provided an assignment to complete. The assignments were usually short writing tasks that gave me a sense of the work I’d be doing and gave the employers a sense of my skills. I was discouraged when I received rejections soon after the first interviews and assignments. Even after following up, I never learned why I wasn’t moved forward.
I interviewed for a job in August that I thought was a perfect fit for me. It was a role creating programs to support physics students. But after the first interview, the company informed me that although I was one of the top choices, it required employees to live in the Washington, DC, area. I wasn’t willing to relocate.
I started to panic. I live in Ohio, where science communication positions are few and far between. All the jobs seemed to be near Washington, DC, or New York. I wanted to find something that I would love. A job has never been just a job for me. I am someone who wants to be deeply passionate about whatever I do. And just like my place of residence, I was not willing to compromise on that.
A few months and 40 applications deep into my search, I started to burn out. Whatever I was doing wasn’t working. I had received only a few interview invitations, and I wasn’t sure what I could do to improve my odds. Everyone close to me believed in me. They kept telling me that I wasn’t doing anything wrong and that the job market was just bad, but I felt like something needed to change.
I took a break. I focused on spending time with the people I love. I went outside every day I could. Most importantly, I made a conscious effort to accept that the process may take a while. That helped me refocus my energy on small steps I could take to help make job hunting easier. I saw many people on LinkedIn sharing their own struggles and offering advice.
One thing became clear to me: There is no “correct” way to apply for a job. Recruiters, hiring managers, and interviewees all seemed to have different opinions. Some hiring managers say a perfect cover letter is the ticket to getting your dream job; others say they disregard cover letters altogether. Some job seekers are adamant that you shouldn’t reach out to hiring managers because it’s considered rude, whereas others insist that reaching out is the only way you’ll be noticed.
I had no clue who to listen to, so I took the advice that seemed to be the most agreed on and started adjusting my approach. I rewrote my résumé to reflect my accomplishments rather than my daily work tasks. For example, instead of saying that I wrote for Physics Today magazine, I emphasized that I wrote monthly stories for more than 100 000 subscribers. I made three versions of my résumé to highlight the accomplishments that best corresponded to the three types of jobs I was applying for. I reached out to everyone I could think of who might be able to refer me to someone who was hiring locally or would allow people to work remotely. Instead of mass-submitting applications as I had been doing, I slowed down and focused on places that I was truly excited about.
My new approach worked. In October, I ended up making it all the way to the final interview for a company looking to hire someone who would be coordinating Web content. I was so excited, and I felt like I was finally going to land this one. But soon I received the rejection email; the company said it chose a more experienced candidate. I was crushed. But I was also proud that for the first time, I had made it to the end of the interview process. I realized that I could actually do this.
In early November, I applied for a remote job for which I would work with scientists all over the globe to create open-access research article collections. As I made my way through the interviews, I felt that “click” again. I have always loved talking with people about their research and why it’s important. I knew this was a job I could be passionate about.
After finishing the final interview, I received positive feedback from the company. I was incredibly nervous because I had made it to the end, and I really wanted the job. A few days later, when I went into the meeting where the recruiter told me I got the job, I was ready to say yes.
I admittedly struggled to stay positive during those eight months when so many aspects of the process felt out of my control. But this experience only reminded me that I am really good at pushing through tough times. I leaned on the skills I gained through work at Physics Today: I interviewed all kinds of people around the world—one of my favorite parts of the job—which helped me tap into an interview setting more naturally. I plan to always keep on pushing. I started my new job in January.
