Earlier this week I alerted people to a blog on Living The Life Of Your Dreams. As someone who is intensely looking for a job it really spoke to me. I am not unemployed, but I am looking for full time employment. I feel it’s time to “start my life,” I’m closing in on 30. It’s time to get my life together.
A day later I made a comment on my lack of blogging. I stand by my statement. I don’t miss it, much like I thought I would. Full disclosure moment, I may become a better writer by figuring out when to shut up.
2 weeks ago I joined L!nked!n, completely by accident, it’s been amazing. It hasn’t helped me get my foot in the door any more often but it has really opened my eyes to various possibilities that I wasn’t considering before.
At first building my profile was depressing. Putting things in back and white (and in a new format) can do that to you. Somehow the last few years have slipped by me, years, not months, years. Now it feels like forever. For someone my age it almost is, except college is years, high school takes years, elementary school takes years.
My current situation isn’t forever. It may feel like it, but it isn’t. It can end up being forever, if I let it.
I need to stop acting like my life is over before I’ve gotten to any of the good stuff that comes to people who have lived past a quarter-life crisis (or two).
I now have 3 (different) resumes I can submit given a situation, and a fourth may soon follow. I’ve written more cover letters in the last 2 weeks than I ever have. It’s been emotionally draining (Who is good at talking about themselves?) but satisfying. I just needed a jump-start. Having my world open up a little more helped with that.
In email conversations with friends I’ve opened up about my job searching. The shame I had before isn’t gone, but decreased just enough to be bold enough to put it out there. I have friends all over the country and I’m not opposed to relocating so why not?
Speaking of being bold, every organization that I thought it would be cool to work for may be hearing from me soon, if they haven’t already. The worst they can say is “No,” which is really no worse than dreaming about it and not giving it a shot.
I’ve even taken the old school route of sending out paper cover letters and resumes in the mail. It started out of necessity and not being able to access websites, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it’s now the “different” approach.
My resume got returned with a big yellow “no such address” sticker across the front. But I tried. I put it out there. Sometimes that’s all you can do. It’s not a total failure. That would’ve been not doing anything about it and just dreaming.
I should also tell you that my back up plan abruptly closed its doors one week ago today. I may need a new backup plan; although I’m considering no backup plan at all.
I haven’t failed. I just haven’t fully succeeded, yet.
Of course you haven’t failed. Sometimes these things just take a bit longer than we’d like. But you’re obviously very intelligent, and I’ve got no doubt that you’ll find a job in which you’ll do a lot of good work.
These little jump-starts are always nice, though.
It sounds like you’re working very hard to find a job, and I hope that something comes your way soon.
Dude, I’m so stinking proud of you! I hope you know that! Keep plugging away. The right door will open. Keep your great attitude and open mind. I love that LinkedIn is giving you so many ideas and possibilities to dream over. I may have to rethink signing up for it.
Ps….I once applied for 54 jobs in a row. 54 stamped envelopes. 1 sent a rejection letter. 1 guy called to reject me. 51 went unanswered. Oddly, the 54th one I sent out…my last ditch effort…was the call back that changed the trajectory of my life. Looking back, I’m quite thankful for so many rejections to be able to live out the story God was writing.