In 2019, I finished my postgraduate study in Ireland. In order to catch up with the college enrollment in China, I gave up attending the graduation ceremony and went back to China to find a job directly. During my graduation season, I sent my resume to dozens of companies. The longest offline interview lasted nearly a day and a half, and the shortest was 15 minutes.

Yes, you read that right, from start to finish in 15 minutes. The first month of job hunting, not a single interview. By the second month, I couldn't remember how many resumes I had printed, in Chinese and in English. Every moment I sent them out, it was like a plea: "Keep me, keep me, I really need this job." After receiving my resume, some HR (human resources director) would look me up and down and ask me step-by-step questions like where I studied and what I majored in. Some HR managers put their resume at the bottom of all the files and don't even look at it. But no matter how I treat my resume, what I fear most is that at the end of the interview, the interviewer gives me back my resume with a regretful look and a reassuring "maybe not the best fit, but you're excellent." In that moment, everything came full circle. Looking at the ruffled resume, like a large crow flying out of the heart, they flapped away all hope, leaving a shadow. The interview lasted only 15 minutes and ended with the interviewer handing my resume back to me. In the hot summer, on my way back to my residence with my resume in hand, I realized my ignorance and naivete: a marketing major with almost no work experience, to apply for a foreign trade logistics operation position requiring at least three years of work experience, is very lucky not to be kicked out. In addition to knowing what you want, but also know what you fit. This is a lesson I learned while counting copies of resumes at the print shop. In a competitive job environment, you not only need to know what kind of position and company is right for you, but you also need to reflect on whether you are qualified for what you want. Finally, one day after my self-confidence had been crushed for countless times, I received an invitation to interview with a major Internet company. It is an e-commerce platform that has become popular in the past two years, offering high salaries and good positions to fresh graduates. Even the "11/11/6" (11 am to 11 PM, six days a week) working hours have attracted a large number of graduates from China's top schools to the job interview "battlefield". I still remember waiting in line downstairs for the elevator to go up to the interview. A line of hundreds of people drained out of the office building. The funniest thing is that when I took a taxi after the interview that day, a passing aunt asked me: "Which property is this? It is the first time to see such a popular opening site. The interview process is lengthy, one round, two rounds, three rounds, four rounds, hundreds of people are assigned to different assembly lines, waiting for the workshop workers to complete a process, then move on to the next link. Ah, this passes, can go to the next level; That one is not up to scratch and must be eliminated immediately. Half a day down, hundreds of people were suddenly screened down to dozens of people. I waited three or four hours, but never heard my name called. On the one hand, I was worried about whether I had been eliminated, on the other hand, I had a desire to escape, and my heart kept echoing: I don't belong here, I don't belong here... In the meantime, listening to other people on the waiting list discuss the interviews they just completed or the offers they already had, I had to do some self-examination -- I hadn't received any job offers at the time. Although I didn't think it was a big deal later, it was the number one life event for me when I was struggling to walk in the confusion. By the fifth hour, the staff called my name and, already hungry, I walked into the interview room. The interviewer surveyed my appearance, took a quick look at my resume, and then began to ask me questions. But the results of this round were clean. I answered several questions badly in a row, and I was definitely going to be eliminated.

Sure enough, not long after the end, the staff was Shouting at the students who had failed in this part to leave as soon as possible. A bunch of us packed our backpacks, took the same elevator and left the building. In the last part of the elimination, we are somewhat disappointed. If I had to draw lessons, I would probably realize that I failed because I was "not good enough." But this reflection should not dampen my enthusiasm and hope, for I know it is only a moment in a long life. It's hard to make cool, calm decisions on a summer day filled with contradictions and indecision, so every attempt becomes meaningful. Whether it's a long wait in an office hallway or a 15-minute interview in exchange for a three-hour trip, each step projects the brutality of competition, the rationality of the city and the gravity of growing up. But at the end of the day, I'm saving my strength to put down roots here. Of course, I believe that everyone who has had similar experience will still start their first day as a "new professional" someday. When I finally received an offer from a desired company, looking back on this experience, I became more and more convinced that it was just an enlightening lesson for my career. So, don't give up hope just because your resume doesn't go to sea. In this vast job market, as long as you look hard, you will always grasp the opportunity to bottom out.