Job rejections, a toxic work environment and lowered self esteem

You are very intelligent and just from other posts it's clear you know your field without a doubt. You'll do fine!

THANKS a MILLION @Bill3! I need the encouragement!!!

@Molinit, awwwww, that's very kind of you to say!!! THANK YOU!!!!

The instructions for this presentation and exercise I must do for this interview are confusing. I reached out for clarification and stupidly did not ask the right question! I received a very open-to-interpretation reply from the hiring manager. So today I've been very stressed about doing this exercise correctly according to their instructions.I cannot be rejected YET AGAIN - my self esteem and morale cannot take another rejection. IF I did this all wrong, guaranteed I get a rejection. I cannot reach out again on Monday since I already have once, and the presentation is Tuesday! I am really fretting and stressed. ARGH.

Now that you know the right question, perhaps you could ask, framing it as you want to make certain that you are doing what is required?

I would, but the problem with doing so is that I wouldn't be able to ask until Monday, and the presentation is Tuesday, which does not give me enough time to revise it if I need to, unfortunately.

I feel SO stupid for not asking the right question. ARGH.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I have gotten the feeling from prior posts that your job is a more "creative" type of job and the answer you got to your question might be an open one because they don't want to inhibit your creativity? I would just let my creative flag fly and see what happens!

@Molinit, thank you, and I just love your response!!!

This particular role emphasizes the creative aspects of my job because the focus is on website content and content creation, so yes, you are correct! I think they did leave it open to allow me to be as creative as I want to be. He even wrote, "assume you can do anything you want" in his reply when I asked my question.

Creativity happens to be my greatest strength, so this is where I excel, and more naturally because I am naturally a creative thinker. The technical aspects of my job are far harder for me since I am more right brained than left brained... or however that works in terms of creativity. lol.

So, yeah, I came up with a new content idea for this hypothetical client, based on the extensive keyword list they provided. So far, I have created a content outline based on keyword searches and search volume, and have suggested current content they can link within the new content and suggested additional content that they can create based off keyword search volume that they can also link within the new piece of site content.

I may be going overboard with this assignment, but they asked for 2 content recommendations, so I am building this one 1 recommendation very thoroughly.

And now I am panicking. My presentation is only 15 minutes, and they asked for a 30 minute presentation. It's too late now to adjust and change it, so I must present what I've got. I'm nervous.

Well, I got through it!!!! I am almost canceled because I was too scared, but I am proud that I went through with it, gave my presentation to seven people and managed to get through it ok. Now we shall see if they extend an offer. If they don't, I will at least be proud that I got this far and gave what I think was a good presentation.

Great job!

@Bill3, thank you!!!

Now that that is all done, I am now fretting over my presentation, how I came across, and how it was received.

Very oddly - when I was done, I received only silence at first. No one said anything in response, except the hiring manager who asked me if I had also looked at the technical.That kind of bothered me since I had been asked to come up with content opportunities, but I hadn't been asked to look at anything technical regarding this website. Then, there were only a couple of questions regarding my presentation, and we moved onto a more formal interview style whereby they could ask me whatever they wanted and I could ask them questions too.

And since it was a presentation and not of the typical interview style, do I send a thank you note? This wasn't a typical interview, so I am not sure if I need to send a thank you note or not?

Edited: I sent one anyways since it feels like the right thing to do.

I agree, good to send a thank you note.

Thanks @Bill3. It was the right thing to do, though my note was brief. I didn't know what to say since it wasn't a typical interview.

I am so afraid of getting yet another rejection. I did not hear anything yesterday, which makes me think I AM getting rejected.

And I really don't know how my presentation went. I mean, they went silent after I finished and had very few questions, which was strange. I thought I had come up with a great idea for new site content, and I built out this content to contain specific sub-sections AND 10 additional new pages, all linking to this main piece of content.

Maybe I was totally off-based and maybe I didn't follow their instructions right at all. Maybe I was wrong. I mean, there was a point where I became confused over their instructions, so it's possible I did it all wrong and that's why they went silent.

I just do not know. ARGH.

I have another interview today with a different company.

I didn't write about this yet, but my colleague complained to our VP the other day about our boss and so did one of my account managers. My colleague tells me that my boss bullies him, puts him down and has called him an "idiot". So my VP called me and asked me about her too. So I told him everything - and I mean everything. How she raised her voice at me on the phone, how she doesn't know basic knowledge that she should know in our field, and how she makes processes less efficient for us to do our jobs well.

I wonder what's going to come of it - he says it's being addressed. The VP of account services apparently let it slip that we "need a new director" as well the other day. I wonder if they will fire my boss? She took a sick day yesterday - her second sick day in two months.

Yet another rejection. I cannot take anymore.

I'm really sorry.

Maybe if this boss leaves it will get better?