Well hello. As my first entry in this blog, I feel as though I owe any potential readers a little insight into my ramblings. Although I am a long time blogger, this is my first personal blog where I am going to let my hair down and tell you like it really is. Why now? Well… my life is not exactly unfolding as planned and the more I look around, I find that I am not alone. So this is a place for me to vent, laugh, and share the trials and tribulations of being a wandering soul… a young professional with no tangible profession. Hopefully you will pick up on my sarcasm and realize that most of this is supposed to be funny. Here it goes 🙂
The rejection letter.
First, I want to thank all of those organizations out there that send rejection letters because as much as they suck, they are a hell of a lot better than wondering if the mail truck got hijacked en route or your email is waiting to be deleted in some HR spam box.
That being said, rejection letters are a bitter pill to swallow. Whether disguised in a thin envelope or a message in your inbox, these bearers of bad news are thoroughly trained for all-out guerrilla warfare on your ego… they have hope-seeking missiles… seriously.
That is why when I get rejection letters, I chose to read through the BS and see the truth. Say what you will, but this is what I ACTUALLY read:
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for applying to this position that you are over qualified & most likely settling for. The selection process is very competitive because the economy is in the shitter and there are PhDs applying for entry level jobs (we have the pick of the litter… it is raining applicants) !! Unfortunately, you were not selected for an interview at this time or any other time for that matter so cut your losses and invest your hope in some other job you didn’t go to school for.
We wish you the best of luck in your never ending search for a job that is hiring someone with lots of experience, awards, degrees, and ambition. Next time try and make friends with someone in the organization so your resume will be put on top.
All the best,
One of dozens of organizations you have applied with.
I know, I know. Don’t get discouraged, etc, etc… blah blah blah. Its not like I have been applying for hundreds of jobs that I desperately want in dozens of states; I am casting a pretty small net and should not expect to a huge catch. I am pretty determined to stay in the Carolinas at this point because I love it here and there happens to be a pretty swell gentleman in Charleston whose company I would like to keep. It all comes down to which way I turn at this crossroads in my life… either way I go, there will be sacrifices made.
My glass is still half-full but I don’t just want half of it full… I want my glass to overflow. With something other than cranberry vodka. 😉
Great post!
Overflowing glass recipe: 1 part saying thank you out loud all day for what you do have. 1 part visualizing your glass already overflowing. 1 part identifying the good of a problem.
Most of the time it's simply the way we see the problem that is the real problem.
march on!
Oh … and stick around or pack that swell gentleman in your suitcase, they are hard to find.
Nikki, you have too many talents to boil them down into a "job".
I applied for a job as a "sustainable transportation coordinator"…aka car pool czar. I used a connection to get the real person's phone number so i could call to follow up. They told me they had already hired someone else who had more "sustainable transportation" experience. Seriously…how do you get "sustainable transportation" experience?
I agree. That gentleman is worth sticking around for. He's one of the rare ones. At least you know it's mainly the economy to blame and not your lack of education or expertise. 🙂
Well, speaking as someone who DID hire you, I can say with confidence that I would, without hesitation, do so again! Under the condition, of course, that you not film anymore anole porn. Too bad you don't want to move to VA where we have 8" of snow now and are predicted to get another 13-16” today. And the small issue of me not having any positions yet.
I won't offer any words of wisdom because: 1) I'm not that good at it and 2) there's nothing I could say that you don't already know, both about the challenges of landing a fulfilling job or your talents. But I will offer a couple of stories, for what they're worth.
My wife, Lisa, who you probably met at Adam’s and Karen’s wedding, recently left her 15+ year career in environmental consulting and went to work part-time teaching as an adjunct faculty member at our local college. Although there’s no $ in it, she loves it, and loves the interaction with the students. To pick up some additional $, she recently took another part-time, mostly administrative job on campus. Is she being utilized to the extent of her capabilities and talent? No. But she’s happy and far less stressed and I’m a firm believer that those two things are equally important.
Relative to your comments in your more recent blog about “returning to the earth” or dirt in this case… I have a friend who was a large animal vet in NJ who specialized in thoroughbred horses. He made a great living doing that within the Atlantic City track circle, but 10 years ago gave it all up and moved his family to VA to become a subsistence farmer. And he emphasizes the “subsistence” part. I see him at the farmer’s market every week and he sells to some area restaurants. He is among the happiest and most joyful people I know.
I’m not sure what the moral of those two stories is, other than perhaps they are examples of two people who thought there was a “plan” and followed that path, only to find later in life that what mattered most was something quite different.
Great blog and I always enjoy (and am often envious) of your adventures and contributions. Stay in touch, Marek
PS – I'm expanding my own garden this year. Ordering seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange as we speak.
yes. a new blog! i'm pumped. 🙂 you should come over for dinner and drinks one night to help relieve the unemployed stress. AND i'll even attempt to cook something that your stomach can handle.