This is a poem I decided to write after working very hard on a niche Investment Banking role and  yet getting no positive result to show for all my efforts. Here is the content:

You need to do your best

As far as work is concerned

In fact, that applies to other aspects of life as well

It is the only way to ensure you succeed

However, the problem is

Doing your best may not be enough

As far as Recruitment is concerned

Especially when you are working on Investment Banking roles

You need luck as well

In fact, you need loads of luck

Because you are dealing with people

Who are even harder to understand

Than questions in an IIT-JEE exam

Moreover, you face rejections all the time

Some people give a polite “No”

Some say they’ll get back to you

But they ultimately decline

There are a few who initially show interest

But then back out for some reason or the other

And others lose all interest in conversing with you

Upon hearing the name of the client

Rejections happen for a variety of reasons

Nevertheless, they eat away at your morale

Because, getting rejected by a candidate

Is worse than getting swiped left on Tinder

Firstly, the pool of candidates is limited

Secondly, getting rejected on Tinder

Does not impact your pay check in any way

Coming back to Recruitment

There are also candidates

Who ghost you after the initial conversation

They are the worst

Because they are practically wasting your time

And time is money

As far as work in general is concerned

So, when you do your best

Speaking to as many people as possible

Sending a truckload of mails

Followed by texts and Whatsapp messages

Searching frantically on job portals

And working beyond 11 PM

Thus sacrificing your precious sleep

But don’t get any positive results

It is one of the worst feelings in the world

Because you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of time

Though that is actually far from the truth

Anyway, that’s Recruitment for you

It manages to bring down even the most diehard optimists

To their very nadir

Yes, you need to do your best

But doing your best may not always be enough