A woman who was laid off three times over the space of three years has shared her “genius” tip for efficiently searching for jobs – saying she has “cracked the code”.
Giovanna Ventola was crushed when her last job made her redundant in November 2023 – following a rough handful of years in which she was also let go from two other companies.
Determined to break out of the vicious cycle, she started seeking advice on how best to break through the masses of job applications and stand out – all while not breaking down from the effort.
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Giovanna, who documents her unemployment journey on TikTok, shared how she has “cracked the code” when it comes to efficient job searching and applying in a video that garnered two million views.
“I’ve applied to more than 180 corporate jobs [since November], which led to six interviews, but none progressed to the final round or resulted in job offer,” the Charleston, US-based woman told Absolutely Business.
“This is by far the most job market I’ve experienced.”
Giovanna, who previously worked in commercial real estate development, has been affected by Covid and other external issues with her previous employments.
Between each job, it took her several months to find a new position, and despite her concentrated efforts to find a position – even applying for ‘bridge jobs’ in retail or at restaurants – she has had “no success” in securing a new role.
Having detailed her own struggles to find work on her TikTok, which became a platform for other unemployed people, Giovanna founded a job-seeking community, called Rhize.
In a group call with her fellow job-seekers, a recruitment professional advised Giovanna on how best to structure her week when applying for jobs, in order to maximise your chances of a successful application.
The recruiter said she would post jobs on Mondays and wait for applications to flood in over the next 24 hours.
On Tuesdays, she would go through the applications, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays would go call the potential candidates to schedule interviews for the following week.
Finally, on Friday, if she wasn’t happy with the current pickings, the recruiter would re-post the job ad.
Now also seeking work, the recruiter said she now focuses her search by mass applying on Mondays and taking the next three days ‘off’ of the job hunt – before trying her luck again on Fridays.
Giovanna described it as the “best job search tip” she had come across in her efforts, allowing for being efficient while taking days ‘off’ mid-week to not get burnt out.
She said: “I have not heard such tangible advice in the three layoffs and three years that I’ve been going through this.
“We just cracked some code of scheduling and managing our own calendar.
“I think when you can manage your own calendar and your time, and you feel like you’re doing real work and you’re productive, your mental health just goes up.
“And then us employed little angels are going to feel so much better about the way we’re living our life right now.
“This is genius.”
Giovanna said founding Rhize – which hosts digital networking calls – came about “accidentally” after she saw the need for a space for the unemployed online.
She said: “In my desperate attempt to grow my professional network, I accidentally started a new company that can really change how people navigate their careers.
“I quickly realized that people wanted a safe space to talk about their job search journeys without judgment or negativity.
“What I found was both encouraging and disheartening – there are a lot of people out there also looking for jobs and each of us are experiencing different challenges.
“The group has 2,000 active members and is growing by the day.
“Although I’m technically still unemployed, I never imagined that my layoffs would lead me to start a company like Rhize.
“In the past few months, I’ve realized that I’m a voice for the unemployed.
“If I can help even one person land their dream job, discover their purpose, or provide a safe haven during difficult times, then Rhize is fulfilling its mission.”