A day after the RISX interview and the waiting begins. Those nagging little thoughts about what I could have said or done better during the interview process are still with me, but overall I feel like I did pretty well. Nothing like marketing yourself to people in marketing, but hey, what's done is done.
From what I gathered the job itself sounded like an internal posting only which means their HR person thought enough of me from my interview with them over a year ago to include me in this go-around. In that respect I'm up against their established workforce, but had I not been a good candidate I doubt they would have asked me in for an interview. I'm trying to keep a positive perspective about everything as I was told about their accepted work attire and also asked when I would be able to start. Based on those two items alone I'm hoping I'll be hearing back with positive results.
If this position does happen to squeak through my fingers it's going to make job searching that much harder as I've been following RSIX for years and I really want to be a part of their workforce. My main reasons are that they are part of a niche industry which I've loved since the late 1990's and it is one of the few things I truly get excited about, the company itself has invested back in what they do and grown, and from following their Facebook page it really makes it appear as though the employees truly enjoy their workplace. (Not to say it's all cherries and roses.) So to loose that possibility and continue the job hunt would kinda rather suck.
But I have continued on. Today I received a requested mailed application packet from a NW Council of Governments for my state. I've covered some projects through my previous job of the local agency's so I have an idea of what they do. I'm sure my educational background isn't exactly what they're looking for, but I can learn. To my dismay I had to hand write everything and I have to wonder when was the last time the agency updated their hiring process. One question really makes me think the application dates back to the late 1990's as it inquires about my skills with all manner of office equipment. Another cover letter and resume I sent off today was for a position at a zoo a few states over which dealt with external relations. I have a lot of "working with the public" in my job background so maybe that'll propel me up their list of possible candidates. I'm guessing I won't hear back from them, but you never know if you don't even try.
So while today wasn't the most productive I did get two more job resumes sent out. Tomorrow is a search day and hopefully I'll find some more positions of interest.
*This entry was posted in the early morning hours so even though I say "today/Wednesday" it was technically yesterday.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Nabbing Those Little Accomplishments
Yesterday was...sleep-filled. I was not exactly stressing out about the fact that I no longer have a source of income on day one. I do have a savings account which will sustain me for quite a while if I live frugally. However, I was just tired. Anticipating what would happen on the last day of work, hoping to high heaven I'd have the self-discipline to actually job hunt on day-one, and to also relax a little bit. I delivered a job application for summer-temp work at a nearby aquatic center as a cashier because it's income, gets me out of the house, and allows me to still have time to dedicated to job hunting, called the HR person at RSIX to schedule that all important interview, but I mostly napped. It was bliss. I still felt tired when I went to bed a little earlier than usual, but I couldn't sleep. Which sucked. Then couple that with a headache from my neck cracking out of whack and it made for a long, sleepless night. Double sucked. So today, even though I am more awake than I have any right to be, I'm job hunting. I'm. Job. Hunting.
One thing I knew would help me is that I relocated my laptop onto my computer desk instead of near my couch. (Defining a specific environment for a task has always been helpful for me.) So today I officially started an earnest job hunt. I have found a couple of recently posted jobs of interest and also signed myself up on my University's job seeker page - which is free for alumnus. So, as of right now in the middle of the afternoon, I feel pretty accomplished even though I will still need to write cover letters and actually apply. It's measuring those little things and checking even some of the progress boxes as one way to keep from feeling overwhelmed and pressured. The bigger picture is freaking scary, and I haven't really let myself think about the what-if's, so I'm just taking things one day at a time.
As a relative side note: It is also very helpful for job hunting to have my home interenet connection operational. It's been dropping the connection consistently since Saturday (5 days ago) so today I also called my service provider who scheduled a tech to come check things out in the area because the connection to my home has been deemed "unstable" so hopefully I can continue uninterrupted. The ineternet has actually stayed connected all afternoon - knock on wood. It's kind of a necessity in this day and age. Not to mention for keeping myself entertained. I cut the cord years ago so outside of paperback books and my DVD collection I have limited options for keeping myself occupied. But that, is a story for another day/blog, and there's always the local library as well.
One thing I knew would help me is that I relocated my laptop onto my computer desk instead of near my couch. (Defining a specific environment for a task has always been helpful for me.) So today I officially started an earnest job hunt. I have found a couple of recently posted jobs of interest and also signed myself up on my University's job seeker page - which is free for alumnus. So, as of right now in the middle of the afternoon, I feel pretty accomplished even though I will still need to write cover letters and actually apply. It's measuring those little things and checking even some of the progress boxes as one way to keep from feeling overwhelmed and pressured. The bigger picture is freaking scary, and I haven't really let myself think about the what-if's, so I'm just taking things one day at a time.
As a relative side note: It is also very helpful for job hunting to have my home interenet connection operational. It's been dropping the connection consistently since Saturday (5 days ago) so today I also called my service provider who scheduled a tech to come check things out in the area because the connection to my home has been deemed "unstable" so hopefully I can continue uninterrupted. The ineternet has actually stayed connected all afternoon - knock on wood. It's kind of a necessity in this day and age. Not to mention for keeping myself entertained. I cut the cord years ago so outside of paperback books and my DVD collection I have limited options for keeping myself occupied. But that, is a story for another day/blog, and there's always the local library as well.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
A Send Off and a Call to Arms
The day finally came. I am now unemployed. While the day marked my last at my workplace which has been nothing but a source of growing frustration for the past year, it was still bittersweet. I received such an outpouring of support from everyone one of my contacts and from some of my coworkers as well. It made me reflect on the better aspects of the job which made leaving a little bit harder, but didn't kick my mind into gear asking, "What have I done?" No. Never that. I carried the encouragement and well wishes with me as I left for the last time and hope I was able to leave all the anger and frustration at the door.
During the various partings though I do have to mention one particular contact who offered - offered! - to write me a recommendation should I need it. That uninhibited belief that better days would find me meant so much. I cannot even put it into words. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for that unbridled support.
The workplace send-off itself was a bit strange as it felt more like a going-away party for a person who's moving on to another defined step in their life. Mine though, is more like looking at an unmarked map without any clear directions as to which side is up. I've also never seen the phrase "Good luck" written inside a single card before so many times in my life! But, that's what coworkers do when they don't know what to say, and I can't say I blame them. I will say that receiving a nice send off like this has to reflect that no one is pointing fingers of blame. They get it. Stuff just happens and sometimes things can't be fixed no matter how much you try. This is just one of those times.
Now comes the job hunt for me...which might prove to be shorter than I ever expected.
A little bit of required back story...
I've been following this company, I'll call them RSIX, for years and last year I actually had an interview with them for a position. Although I didn't get the job I was encouraged to resubmit an application when a new position opened up. Couple that encouragement with the fact that a friend of mine got a job after he submitted his resume every six months to an employer for nearly two years I decided to try this tactic. So that's what I did over the past year and a half, and this past week, coincidently, was actually when I needed to resubmit my resume so I did. Never really expecting much of anything or at least not right away even though I really wanted to.
Which brings me to tonight. I came home and there was an email from the RSIX HR department thanking me for reaching out plus an offer for a job interview! I. Am. Ecstatic. I'm trying not to let myself get too excited, but the included job description sounds like a really good match for me. So tomorrow morning, as soon as the morning-fog clears from my brain, I'm calling and scheduling that interview. I'm also going to keep my fingers crossed and knock on some wood.
During the various partings though I do have to mention one particular contact who offered - offered! - to write me a recommendation should I need it. That uninhibited belief that better days would find me meant so much. I cannot even put it into words. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for that unbridled support.
The workplace send-off itself was a bit strange as it felt more like a going-away party for a person who's moving on to another defined step in their life. Mine though, is more like looking at an unmarked map without any clear directions as to which side is up. I've also never seen the phrase "Good luck" written inside a single card before so many times in my life! But, that's what coworkers do when they don't know what to say, and I can't say I blame them. I will say that receiving a nice send off like this has to reflect that no one is pointing fingers of blame. They get it. Stuff just happens and sometimes things can't be fixed no matter how much you try. This is just one of those times.
Now comes the job hunt for me...which might prove to be shorter than I ever expected.
A little bit of required back story...
I've been following this company, I'll call them RSIX, for years and last year I actually had an interview with them for a position. Although I didn't get the job I was encouraged to resubmit an application when a new position opened up. Couple that encouragement with the fact that a friend of mine got a job after he submitted his resume every six months to an employer for nearly two years I decided to try this tactic. So that's what I did over the past year and a half, and this past week, coincidently, was actually when I needed to resubmit my resume so I did. Never really expecting much of anything or at least not right away even though I really wanted to.
Which brings me to tonight. I came home and there was an email from the RSIX HR department thanking me for reaching out plus an offer for a job interview! I. Am. Ecstatic. I'm trying not to let myself get too excited, but the included job description sounds like a really good match for me. So tomorrow morning, as soon as the morning-fog clears from my brain, I'm calling and scheduling that interview. I'm also going to keep my fingers crossed and knock on some wood.
Friday, May 13, 2016
An ominous beginning to start blogging. It's Friday the 13th.
So in four days I will no longer be employed. This was my choice. I was done dealing with a full years worth, and then some, of nothing but frustrations at my workplace following a management change out. I was angry all the time and my mind was in a constant loop of irritation, bitter, and resentful thoughts. It was that bad. So I quit.
Instead of worrying about the reality of survival - and by survival I mean earning an income - I'm relishing living without negativity constantly bombarding my brainwaves.The reality of the situation hasn't quite sunk in. I am a rarity in this day and age. I actually have a good chunk of savings which will sustain me for quite a while, but seeing those numbers grow smaller over the course of time isn't my idea of a good deal. So what will I do with myself? I really don't know.
I attended college and graduated with a B.A. in Communications and quite a few minors in varying disciplines. While a complete career change hasn't really ever crossed my mind, this is not a mid-life crisis after all, a shift in focus in the kind of work I do is desirable. I'll put it this way: I'm tired of dealing with egos in the media world so in order to "get out" I need to chart a new path not a new direction.
Which brings me to a crossroads. I've always wanted to live somewhere else. The northwest coast has always had a particular draw. So this could be the perfect opportunity to just pack up and move to a more in-sync with my persona location. But would it be? I have to ask that question since I've never even set foot there and everything I know is based on conjecture. Where I currently live isn't really a place that jives with me. I want to live where I feel like I'm quintessentially home. I wouldn't know a soul if I were to move, and I'd be leaving a good concentration of my family behind, but that didn't stop me before when I got my first job out of college. So what's stopping me from doing it again?
Doubt and perceived obstacles. "All journeys begin with a single step," was an uttered encouragement I received at one point in my life. However, all the advice in the world cannot get me to where I need to go. It's just advice after all. So I'll have to figure it all out for myself. What's best for me. What works. And what I really need to do. For myself.
Thus begins the journey.
Instead of worrying about the reality of survival - and by survival I mean earning an income - I'm relishing living without negativity constantly bombarding my brainwaves.The reality of the situation hasn't quite sunk in. I am a rarity in this day and age. I actually have a good chunk of savings which will sustain me for quite a while, but seeing those numbers grow smaller over the course of time isn't my idea of a good deal. So what will I do with myself? I really don't know.
I attended college and graduated with a B.A. in Communications and quite a few minors in varying disciplines. While a complete career change hasn't really ever crossed my mind, this is not a mid-life crisis after all, a shift in focus in the kind of work I do is desirable. I'll put it this way: I'm tired of dealing with egos in the media world so in order to "get out" I need to chart a new path not a new direction.
Which brings me to a crossroads. I've always wanted to live somewhere else. The northwest coast has always had a particular draw. So this could be the perfect opportunity to just pack up and move to a more in-sync with my persona location. But would it be? I have to ask that question since I've never even set foot there and everything I know is based on conjecture. Where I currently live isn't really a place that jives with me. I want to live where I feel like I'm quintessentially home. I wouldn't know a soul if I were to move, and I'd be leaving a good concentration of my family behind, but that didn't stop me before when I got my first job out of college. So what's stopping me from doing it again?
Doubt and perceived obstacles. "All journeys begin with a single step," was an uttered encouragement I received at one point in my life. However, all the advice in the world cannot get me to where I need to go. It's just advice after all. So I'll have to figure it all out for myself. What's best for me. What works. And what I really need to do. For myself.
Thus begins the journey.
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