Recommitted Myself

Yesterday was a notably tough day having to e-mail and call just to get a rejection. A tough day for me is reading Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx and eating popcorn with coconut oil and nutritional yeast. I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped, but the day was not without productivity.  I have closure on this job, and I’m ready to recommit myself to all the things that give me grace in this trying time.

YouTube Lectures

From http://egosumperfectus.wordpress.com/

Imagine my joy when I found out that I could watch other school’s lectures. I mean, I haven’t been living under a rock… I know they’ve been around for awhile. I downloaded some on iTunes before. What I mean is that I finally found some good ones that I won’t fall asleep watching. (Alright, so maybe I fast-forwarded a bit). But believe me, I nearly jumped for joy. I probably would have, actually, if I thought that would make my discovery that much better.

I watched a lecture from a Harvard Justice class.

The class is thought-provoking and engaging. I found myself spellbound until the 53rd minute, when the prof brought up some discussion questions to think about, which made me realize that I’d wasted almost an hour of my life attending a virtual lecture that I had no obligation to watch. I don’t have much knowledge in the way of philosophy, but I picked up a few vocab words. They might come in handy if I want to impress anyone later with my categorical morals. (Damn, I’m good.) I really thought I had some definitive morals, but this Justice class really makes you really analyze them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG9_j6VYaKo

Adding Knowledge Tells Employers 3 Things

The world changes before our very eyes.  Few of us have work that isn’t evolving in some way, particularly if we are talking about technology. With a family and a job, it’s hard to keep up.  Being in-between jobs is a great opportunity to survey the environment you worked in, or desire to work in, and assess what you need to know to stay competitive in today’s job market.

If Knowledge is Power, then Power is Money

Knowledge can become old in one day. How does that degree from five or ten years ago stand up to a degree from the same school this year or last year? The good news is you don’t have to go back to college for a 4 year degree to stay on top of the knowledge curve. We live in the Information Age and it’s just there for the taking, if you know where to look and what you are looking for.

I’m Loud and I’m Proud

There was a time when being unemployed was just short of a badge of shame. In this economy, with close to 15 million people in the same boat, I’m loud and I’m proud. Those who are fortunate to be employed, which suggests not at all that I am unfortunate, just a little lighter in the wallet, are missing a great opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Eat to Get the Job

For a million reasons it is of critical importance that you make wise choices around what your health and what you eat during this challenging period. Don’t compromise on the quality of your food, and certainly not because you may be concerned about cost. You can eat well – well for our purposes defined as healthy – and do it without great cost.

You are what you eat has never been truer, and never with more import. Eat crappy and you will look and feel crappy. Eat a lot of vegs, fruits, and whole grains, along with exercise and everything else prescribed in this blog,  and you walk into that interview radiating health. If the cut fo the job comes down to you and someone else. You both have impressive credentials and experience. A healthy presentation is subtle and noticed. But, for the moment forget about any interview.

We need good health and energy to get it up to mount a search and then, if the planets be lined up right, writing a hell of a good cover letter. You want all those pistons firing when an opportunity pops its head up.  Good healthy nutritious food equals pistons firing. It’s that simple. You’ve got one shot at that perfect job. Think like an athlete. Train for that moment, when you come across a job listing with your name on it. What won’t you do to get your foot in the door? Eat tofu?

It’s not that bad. No, not the tofu; eating healthy, although I like tofu and eat it often. They say you need 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Just do it! Back off on the coffee, which taps out your adrenal glands. Ease off on the red meat, which makes your body work overtime digesting.  Forgive me for being anatomical, but ye of loose bowels will fare much better navigating this journey than ye of the constipated disposition.

In a nutshell: more fresh veggies, gently cooked, more fruit, preferably locally grown, whole grains, beans, with some fish and some chicken. Not no red meat; just ease up on it. Drink water and plenty of it. Less alcohol.

Call me anal retentive, but I’m not putting anything in my body, particularly during this period in my life, which could possibly make me one less iota on the ball either in the quality of my job search, writing a cover letter, or in an interview. I’m not giving up one single brain cell (not that I have so many to give up anyway) for anything, if it means I might be even a half a beat off in doing what I have to do to get the job. You think this is a tough thing to suggest. Wait until six months of unemployment turns into 12 months to 18 months. You’ll be eating tofu.

Son of a Bitch

I had a job interview yesterday. This was a big deal; I really really wanted this job for many excellent reasons, none of which had to do with pay. Once I got the call, I prepared for a week, researching the key issues that even the company was aware of. On the day of the interview I struggled over what to wear; too corporate, which this company most definitely was not, and they are doing to wonder whether I will fit into the culture. Professional, but too casual, and they will wonder whether I can represent them to the public, this being a PR position. I opted for casual corporate: no tie. They were wearing t-shirts and jeans.

 

Tough questions. Maybe even some pushing the boundaries, like what do you like and dislike about the company. I went soft honest, but also made sure I emphasized what I liked. I tripped up at the end. There is nothing, and I know this, more important than the questions you ask. When they invited me to ask, I was like a deer in the headlights. Blanko! How much can you beat yourself up?

 

I did just that for half a day, but today in the next day, I need to write another cover letter, and the luxury of belaboring, if not berating myself, is not mine to have. I have to be as focused as I was writing the cover letter that got me the interview that I had yesterday.

Opportunity

I am constantly struck by how powerful this opportunity is for learning, particularly around social media marketing and its implications for non-profits. Too many people of my generation are fearful or simply have no interest, thinking this doesn’t concern them.

We are not retiring at 65, and this technology, which is now in its infancy, will be requisite to participate and compete in a year or two. Maybe to do anything commercial. Every moment of every day there are new developments. I just saw the CNET review of Google Wave; just when I had finally figured out e-mail.

But back to the opportunity part. I’ve got this time, and inclination, and while I may not master this new world, at least, as a result of this time out, I’ll be able to talk the talk.

The Waiting is a Little Like Dying

Last week I applied for what I think may be the ideal job for me. In fact, its so ideal, I don’t even care about the pay as long as I can pay my rent, eat, and pay health insurance.  When I lost my job I said, out loud, to the person hiring at this job, find me a job doing exactly this at your business. I want to believe he didn’t tell me about the posting because it would show bias or even be misconstrued as showing preference.

I labored over that resume and cover letter, but I labor over all cover letters and resumes. I want this job so much, or at least the opportunity to interview, I’ve gone Buddhist: you know, no attachment. I can’t get sucked into that vortex of wondering are they going to call me. Not working because I’m sweating this one out. I keep reminding myself; just breathe in and breathe out. Everything else is commentary.

Do these people at the other end understand what this feels like?