Cold calling really has a lot to do with resilience, and this week I got a good reminder of that. Early in the week I commented on an LinkedIn comment where someone felt cold calling was about chutzpa. When I hear that word, I think of audacity. I had replied that I saw it more as being about resilience.

Many posts here talk about the quick hang-ups or angry reactions as being the hardest part. I’ve yet to have someone respond angrily, but the thought of it does linger in the back of my mind as I pull up the sheet of potential partners. I will admit that the automated AI gatekeepers that just hang up on me are annoying, but then I am trying to turn it into a game. I’ll sure celebrate the first time I get through one.

The harder moments are when you reach someone and learn they’re no longer at the company. Especially when they call back while you’re leaving them a voicemail – likely because they missed the call and probably thought you were a recruiter. It really hits different. Especially when you hear the upbeat enthusiasm of “I missed your call” . . .

For those of you in the middle of a search right now, all I can say is to keep going. It’s a bad job market right now and the longer journey back into employment is not a reflection of your value. People will try to tell you that when one door closes, another opens. They rarely mention that between those two doors is a long, and likely dark, hallway. Churchill said it best – “When you are going through Hell, keep going.”

And for those of you who are currently employed, pause and be grateful for the stability. If you know someone that is still “open to work” reach out and check in to see how they are doing.

Either way, keep building/dialing or keep applying. But no matter what, keep believing in yourself.