I've applied to over 1,500 jobs. It's hard to see the toll this process has taken on my kids.

Jacob WoodwardStephanie DamstetterJacob Woodward, a former VP of product and father of six, has been job hunting since July 2024.At one point, after getting a verbal offer, he broke down in tears.That job fell through, and after applying to some 1,500 roles, Woodward is unsure of what to do next.Jacob Woodward, 44, is a married father of six who lives in Grand Island, New York, and has been looking for a job since July 2024. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.I joined my last company as a director of product, and within a couple of months, I had been promoted to the VP of product. Then, a couple of months later, that company almost went out of business. They had to downsize and kept me and one other person on. I was very thankful, as they laid off the rest of the company and tried to restart. We really gave it the old college try, but we weren't getting the traction we needed.Eventually, I resigned. I thought it was an opportunity because I saw that AI was going to change everything. I had done enough with it over the years that I knew there was going to be some serious opportunity there.I thought if I could go in and get really educated on this stuff — because it's moving so quickly — and combine that with my experience, I was going to be in really good shape. I had this vision for what I would do, and it became more and more difficult as time went on.I've applied to over 1,500 jobsEven though I've applied to over 1,500 jobs in the past 15 months, I've been hyper-focused on jobs that I thought I was a good fit for — not just spray and pray.You find a role that you're perfect for that was posted three days ago, and it says over 1,000 applicants. It's like, "OK, I'll submit my résumé and reach out on LinkedIn to whoever I think the hiring manager is." But, more times than not, I get no response. I think they're overwhelmed, and I don't think what I'm experiencing is unique.If I could pick up and go to a different market or country, I would. I don't have that luxury. I've applied to jobs at Home Depot and Lowe's, and I can't get a call back. I would do anything just to pull in some extra income right now so my wife doesn't have to kill herself working two jobs. It's a huge strain on her. I would shovel manure for the next 20 years if it meant that I could support my family.Even though I would not wish this process on my worst enemy, there is lemonade from these lemons. The whole process has been very humbling. This has helped me deconstruct my ego in a way that is going to help me as a human from this point forward.I broke down in tearsFor one job, I knew someone who was involved in this company and reached out to him. I had a few calls with various people there. They gave me a document to review and comment on, and I started doing some work for them — not a ton, but enough to show them what I was capable of. My contact said, "Alright, we're going to bring you on board."When I got off the video call, I broke down in tears. It was like a dream come true. That was the startup environment that I would have really excelled in. I want to do whatever's needed. You know, chief cook and bottle washer.Then he kind of disappeared for a week, and I pinged him a few times. I started getting a pit in my stomach. He eventually sent this brief message on a Friday that they think the position needed to be based locally. He said he'd love to stay in contact because they were probably going to need some help in the future. I've been in his shoes before. He's got a business to run, and I don't hold any ill feelings.I went from tears of one kind to tears of the other. Because I've been hearing "no thanks" for the past year, I could take that. But it was devastating to experience the joy. It felt like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.In hindsight, I know better than to count my chickens before they hatch, so I should have just kept it to myself until I had a signed piece of paper. But it's hard not to tell your kids that Dad finally found a job. This is hard for them. I think they've gotten used to it, which hurts.I remember these moments of my daughter coming home from school last year, walking in, and being like, "Daddy, did you find a job?" I had to tell her, "No, not yet, sweetie." Eventually, those questions stopped because she already knew the answer. The echoes of that still haunt me, and I think about it all the time.A gut punchI have a family that needs me to generate income. I spent 25 years climbing the corporate ladder only to be in this position. It's a gut punch, and it's really been taking a toll on me.I'm a pretty emotional guy as it is. My emotions have just been heightened by this, and it's been so hard to keep them in check. But it's not going to help my family if I'm just wallowing in pity. So I need to keep my head high and believe in myself. I can sit here and check my ego, but then also be confident enough in my abilities and be like, "I'm going to be a unicorn." I feel that right in my bones — so I know that I'll find something at some point.My kids see that I'm putting in the work. But I think they feel bad for me. I don't want them to see me unhappy, but even the younger ones pick up on those nonverbal cues.One day, about maybe eight or nine months ago, I was on my daughter's tablet just kind of checking in on her, because I monitor what she does. She's young and doesn't have access to search the web, but she tried. I looked at the phrase she typed in, and it was, "How do I make my dad happy?"Do you have a story to share about your career? Contact this reporter at [email protected] the original article on Business Insider

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