Ok, I’m going to try to explain what I think my lesson is at this point. This is based on gut feeling and all sorts of stuff that I can’t put into words. But, I’ll do my best.
The way I’ve been going about this job hunt is this: Check the main sites - careerbuilder, craig’s list, monster, career services through school. When I find something that is remotely close to what I can do, I send off a resume and cover letter/email. Then, I keep looking. If there’s nothing to be found, I keep searching on individual company websites. As if by pure force of will a job will magically appear online.
I’ve wasted so many hours doing this. Seriously, it’s possible to spend 4 hours a day on this. Meanwhile, my house is a mess, I haven’t touched my drums in months, nor played any games. And I just add more stress.
So, patience isn’t really about waiting. It’s not stopping the job hunt process. It means checking the normal sites, applying if there’s anything, and then stepping away. Leave the computer and go do something else I want to do. Play mario, play my drums, read, watch a basketball game, go to aikido, or even clean! But stop fixating.
This is what makes a master. The ability to do what needs doing and then letting it go until it’s time to act again. Not forcing it to happen, but giving it the space to happen. This is my lesson, I believe. This is what I’m working on. Today I watched the last 3 episodes of Popular, which has been sitting in our house for months now. I laughed and laughed and just had fun today at work. Tonight, I checked craig’s list again, found another job to apply for, and have it sitting for when I have the focus tomorrow to write the cover letter/email. I also talked to a friend who told me of a job opportunity with his company. Granted, he hates the job, the hours are crazy and inconsistent, and it probably only pays around $10 an hour. But, if I don’t have anything else in the next few days, I’ll apply and let him talk to his boss. It’s better than nothing right?
For a while I thought things would move once I finished my thesis. I kept saying “I’m going to do ___ after my thesis.” I figure, that’s silly to try to create and then put it after my thesis. But now, I’ve graduated. So I want things to move instantaneously. But I kept pushing. I realized now, over the past few days that I hadn’t quite understood what I needed to do. Now I think I do.
In the end, I figure, my higher self needs to make some sense to my conscious self. It just took a while to get to that point. I feel pretty good about this being right. Today I also felt good about the jobs I was looking at. I don’t feel awesome, but I don’t want extremes right now anyway. But, time will tell. Hopefully not much time.
10 August 2007 at 12:29
I know I’m an old fart when it comes to the ways of human resources and personnel today….
but when I was one of the ones in charge of hiring, I’d pay more attention to someone who had come down to the office to apply in person, then I did to applications in the mail. I’d consider the mailed applications. I would simply add weight to the applicant that had showed the interest to make a personal impression.
10 August 2007 at 12:35
That’s not even an option in a majority of jobs. Either, the company is working with a recruiter so you don’t know what the company is. Or, they specifically state to not stop by in person or to even call. Now you have a worse chance if you call - as if it’s a waste of their time. The job market is completely different now, and I don’t think it’s better.
10 August 2007 at 13:06
It’s certainly different. Like treating people like abstractions and things. No wonder productivity is low and on the job stress is running high.
Because it is a waste in resources and time.
10 August 2007 at 13:11
I agree. Things are so out of whack. I hate applying to jobs when they don’t even tell you what the company is. They give you a job title and that’s about it. Well, I would expect the job to be a little different at different places.
It’s all just a mess.
10 August 2007 at 13:14
Yesterday I was at Quizno’s, getting lunch for the 4 of us that make up our crew. The owner saw the paint spots on my face and said ‘You shouldn’t be doing that. Leave that work to the fellas.’
I said: “Oh, I can do it. It’s good therapy for my upper back, shoulders and arms. I’m slow. But I don’t mind doing the jobs other people don’t like to do.”
He gave me a free cookie and told me I could come to work for him starting at 5am and working till 5pm, anytime I wanted. He communicated he could use someone with my atttitude all hours of the day.
I’m not looking but I suspect this employer communicated a need among all employers. So I share…as I said, I’m not looking so this info isn’t exactly for me. Maybe it was given to me to give to you?
10 August 2007 at 15:56
What I hate is the ‘new’ automated screening method.
Taking resumes — written or sent electronically — and feeding them into a machine that scans for specific terms, words, etc.
If you don’t use the proper ‘buzz words’ , your resume ends up in the ‘toss’ pile with no human eyes ever taking a look!
This is worse when you are having to make a resume / cover letter to ‘blind accounts’, as Jax mentioned.
Anyway…. there’s my micro rant.