I am gainfully employed!

Hello there -- I am gainfully employed, have been for 3 months, and I feel like I really lucked out with this job! I haven't been updating this blog, since I HAVE a job, but recently, people have been mentioning to me that they actually found this blog INSPIRING!

That's quite a compliment. The first time someone mentioned that to me, I didn't think too much of it -- I mean, I was appreciative. But I figured it was a one-off. However, when the comments kept being made (not by just that one person!) I started to wonder how many other people felt that way.

So, it might be amazingly arrogant of me to think that people might find this blog useful, but hey -- some people already have, so I figured I would update it.

This is going to be a rather stream-of-consciousness post, as I woke up feeling inspired (oh, and I had a dream about an old friend I haven't seen in a long time, and that was nice, too!)

Topic? Let's see... the Top Three Things That Come To Mind Right Now Regarding Your Job Search:

1. Give up on the idea of your dream job.
Whoa. That sounds harsh -- give up on your dreams? Well... yes... er... no. If you HAVE a dream, go for it, full-throttle. However, if you're not quite sure what it is, exactly, that you were put here to do, you're probably open to a lot of different kinds of jobs. If that's the case, you're probably capable of being fulfilled (and, conversely, disappointed) by a variety of different jobs. So, check out Positive Psychology and figure out what spins your propeller -- and then make that happen in any job you have or get!

To put it another way, "giving up on your dream job" also means not fantasizing about what it would be like to work at a specific company or in a certain city/state/country. So you applied for a job at Google, and then you start thinking about how you could bring your dog to work, and drop off your dry cleaning in the morning, and they give you free vegan pulled pork sandwiches on Mondays, and on and on and on... your start fantasizing about how wonderful it would be if only you got that job... and then you don't get it (or worse, you never hear back from Google), and then you're crushed.

Well, there is only so long this can continue. Not to be negative about it, but give up on your hopes, enthusiasm, and excitement for a job you only applied for: you don't have it yet, and spending time looking at rental prices in that area is a waste of time.

On a side, but related, note: I have studied in Mexico and Italy, and I have lived in Ecuador, Germany, and Northern Ireland. While it sounds romantic, and it is amazingly life-changing and profound to live and work abroad, at the end of the day, you get up, go to work, and then go home just to do it all again the next day. All this is to say that you don't have to go abroad (or to another state, or another coast) to experience life. It can help sometimes, but really, you're not missing that much by sticking around your hometown.

Finally, in the words of some Zen master whose name I forget, "If you can't find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"

2. A dream without a plan is just a wish...

Okay, it's true, I just said to give up on your dreams. But what #2 means is that it's not good enough to just wish that you had a job/had a better job. You gotta get off your duff and do something about it. (Actually, in today's world, you might have to actually sit down on your duff and get working, but you get my meaning.)

If working on a computer is too distracting, turn off the Internets. Set a goal: mine was one application a day. Granted, I didn't always hit that goal, but I made up for it on other days when I did two or three applications in one day.

3. Make a list of reasons why you are awesome...

Applying for jobs (and the subsequent rejections) is amazingly depressing; I often wonder if one of the reasons why people don't leave bad relationships/jobs/apartments is because the process of finding a new one is often so horrible. Regardless, if you're looking for a new job (and actually applying for positions) your ego is about to take a huge hit. So, if you have a list of Reasons Why Your Are Awesome to review from time to time, kinda like your own life's version of a Greatest Hits album, it's gonna boost your ego. Also, if you review it regularly, you'll start to memorize it and have plenty of "golden moments" to share during/work into an interview. Bonus!



So -- get out there and get that better job!

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Undergraduate International Evaluator Opportunity at San Jose State University

Prison

I am eligible to teach in a federal prison, but was not among the eligibles selected to move on. I'm not sure "eligible" is a noun, but i suppose one can wordify anything one wants.

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Job# 13502 - Student Services Advisor 3 #13502 (Job Code 4575U - Student Services Advisor 3) in the School of Public Health department.

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Fellowship Coordinator/ Administrative Assoc

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Recreation Specialist

passing up an interview

I was just offered a final interview for the 50% position. I hemmed and hawed, but ultimately, it's a bad match: I don't need 50%, I need 100%! I said no thanks.