Job hunting is the absolute worst.

How many of you have applied to 5, 10, 30 jobs in the last few months just to get nothing but rejection emails with the iconic message: "Thank you for your application, but we are contacting candidates who we feel are a better fit for our position."

No interview. Nothing.

Even though the application described a candidate with your degree, your experience and your interests, they still did not see the potential to pull you in for an interview.

It is truly puzzling to consider what employers are really looking for. I've heard it said that most employers use a computerized program to decide which applicants to pull based on some system that analyzes your resume for keywords or phrases that they are looking for. Yet, even when my resume is fine-tuned with the words used in their job posting, including beautifully crafted descriptions of my relevant experience and bachelor's degree that all prepare me to be a candidate for their position, none of it seems to matter.

But the true question is, who are getting these interviews?

If a college graduate with several years of experience through internships and other work cannot even get an interview for an entry-level position, then who can?

It is true that oftentimes networking is key to obtaining some of the positions that are most desired after graduation. The issue with this is finding the right person to network with. I can't tell you how many times I have met with individuals who were very kind and gave me wonderful advice, mentioning how I would be a fantastic fit for their team, just to be told after our conversation that they have absolutely no sway in who is hired for their department.

Parents and other adults in the workforce just don't understand how difficult it is for a recent college graduate to break into their career. A job should be more than just a way to make money; it should also be something that you feel passionate about. For that reason, there's nothing wrong with being picky about what positions you apply for. But, even still, it should not be as difficult it is to get a job when you know you are a qualified candidate.

It really makes me wonder what less qualified individuals do to get hired when I look at my resume, think about my GPA, and consider how hard I worked in college to get a degree that would mean something when I applied for jobs. If I cannot even get an interview, what about those who had less leadership and internship experience?

The fact is, job hunting is hard. It is stressful and mind-numbing work that oftentimes gives nothing but rejection for the hard work you put in. But keep up hope, eventually, something will come your way!