I’ve been on a grueling job search for customer-facing roles for months now, and I’m feeling completely drained. With over 15 years of experience, a PMP certification, and a background managing multi-million-dollar enterprise portfolios in AI and healthcare technology, I thought I’d have an easier time landing a job. However, I’ve faced interview processes that stretch from 5 to 8 rounds, which feels excessive. I’ve dedicated countless hours crafting presentations, customer success plans, and implementation roadmaps. Some companies even required live presentations to executive panels or detailed written assignments that felt more like consulting work than a job interview. Despite my qualifications, I keep hearing the same frustrating feedback: "You have the experience, but we’re looking for someone more technical," or "You’re very technical, but we need someone more commercial." It’s as if I’m being told I’m both too much and not enough at the same time. I’ve rewritten my resume multiple times, practiced my STAR stories, built interview frameworks, and even used AI interview coaches. I’ve studied each company as if I were preparing for a major exam. The hardest part isn’t the rejections themselves, but investing so much time—10 to 20 hours—only to lose out to someone I know nothing about. I often wonder what factors influenced their selection: Did they have internal experience? Did they interview first or last? Were they simply cheaper? Or was there an internal candidate all along? Each rejection feels like a reminder that I’m close, but just not quite there. I’m trying to maintain my confidence because I know my abilities, but this job search has turned into a full-time job in itself. I’m curious to hear from others who have finally landed jobs after a long search—what made the difference for you? Was it persistence, changing your interview style, networking, or just luck? Right now, it feels like I’m running a marathon with no finish line in sight.
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