Halloween…Just the Last Hurdle Between Me and Turkey

I’ve never been one to get crazy about Halloween. Do I dress up, enjoy a pumpkin patch & corn maze, eat too much candy, and have a trick or two? Yes. However, I’m not the type to get into the goriness, the zombieness, and put strobe lights in front of my house. Despite my favorite family on Modern Family being that type, it just doesn’t…do it for me. Halloween is a necessary formality to pass through in order to get to the World Series of holidays.

Why do I feel so passionately about Thanksgiving? It is a celebration of the things I love most–family, friends, and food. [I’d be lying if I didn’t include the last one] These three F’s are all I need to survive in life. Getting around a huge spread of mashed potatoes, bisquits, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, corn, salads, the all important turkey [preferably deep fired], and lastly a homemade pumpkin pie, with all the people I care about in my life, is fantastic.

These people are the ones who keep me strong and help me in my fight to be employed. They advise me, humble me, encourage me, and often times are just there for me. I anticipate this Thanksgiving to be the best I’ve ever enjoyed–despite my predicament. I have such a solid support system I can only succeed; without it, I’d assume I’d be in a much different state–probably miserable.

What type of support do you need in order to be successful?

-J

Lessons Learned

Life is full of lessons. Cliche as it is, I was reminded of it last night. Everyone has limits and it behooves you to know those limits and consider them moving forward. Although this event is in no way, shape, or form related to my job hunt, I was still able to draw a connection [albeit much later].

Knowing who you are as a prospective candidate is crucial in getting a job. If you don’t know you, how can you inform others? Many people think they know themselves inside and out, like the back of their hand. Well, can you describe the back of your hand to me right now without looking at it? It’s incredibly complicated despite the fact it’s attached to your body. I see my hand everyday, yet I couldn’t paint a definitive picture of it simply using words. [I guess I have a beef with the idiom…]

Regardless, it’s necessary. I know a standard interview question is , ‘what are your strengths and weaknesses?’ but the standard leadership, communication, and team play are just that–standard. Really dig deep within yourself to find some meaningful, concrete examples to answer that question. Who knows, maybe that extra bit of putting yourself out there will be the deciding factor of getting selected over someone else.

Consider that lesson learned.

-J

Waiting is not the same as Patience

Today, I was sitting outside a specific store in the mall, one oft surrounded by a bunch of guys loitering aimlessly, killing time, until their significant other returns from the abyss [I bet you can’t guess what store I’m referring to] regardless, I was waiting. While I was waiting I goofed around on my phone, checked Twitter and Facebook, and otherwise accomplished nothing.

The fact I was waiting brought to mind the juxtaposition between waiting and being patient. Waiting is totally apathetic. You sit, like a lump on a log or a princess in a tower expecting someone to rescue you. Patience is an active waiting, similar to active listening. I immediately thought of my job search, and my approach to it. Motivation is a crucial aspect to patience and requires effort in order to eventually find success. Currently, I find myself very motivated to find some form of gainful employment doing something I enjoy. I’ve taken a couple risks to explore what I like, and so far I’ve struck out–at least I now know some new things about myself.

I’d like to say I’m being patient, rather than waiting. I’m working everyday, submitting applications, doing phone interviews, researching the companies I’ve applied to and companies I’d love to work for. I feel what I just listed is the active part of waiting…patience.

-J

Movember

The world is a dark and dangerous place, but there are incredible bright spots which make me chuckle a little bit to myself and help me get through my days. One small, seemingly unnecessary and juvenile ‘light’ in my life is Movember.

My roommates have recently become inspired to participate in this…event, for lack of a better word. What is it you may ask? Why it is a commitment to grow a mustache throughout the month of November. I’m sure there are celebrities doing it for gobs and gobs of money, but I feel it is something to provide a release valve on the pressure cooker that is a job hunt. Using this kind of technique brings to mind a recent movie. Zombieland was full of rules,and one was “Enjoy the little things.” I think this is something consistently lost in the business world today. Everyone is so focused on the bottom line there is a lack of enjoying family, friends, and…mustaches.

Maybe my mustache will afford me some semblance of accomplishment while I continue my search. Once it gets going, I’ll have to post a picture or two.

-J

Glorious or Inglorious Return

During the past few months, time has flown by and countless things have changed. For one, I’m back on the job hunt–this is similar plenty of other people in the US and abroad. Despite the uncertainty and instability associated with unemployment, there is a comfort level [oddly enough]. I don’t quite understand why, but it literally scares the, for lack of a better word, CRAP out of me. I’m beginning to understand why people get sucked into unemployment and fail to continue their drive towards gainful employment.

I want this blog to semi-chronicle what I go through in the process of getting an opportunity to earn a living. There will be a daily post and if there are questions/ideas/suggestions/support/whatever, I’m all ears.

Let’s get this show on the road!

-J