Last fall I completed the post-graduate corporate communications and public relations program at Centennial College, an intense educational experience that engendered a feeling of accomplishment and hope for future employment. We all know what happened after that.
Well before I became officially qualified to do what I had been doing for 25 years, I launched into a daily job search routine. Every morning for two years, I poured my first coffee, fired up my PC and began to scour the dozen or so job boards bookmarked on my browser. Almost every day, for months, I have tweaked my renovated resume, composed and customized cover letters and filed applications for employment. At first, I tried to send off at least 10 per week, but by December 2008, prospects of any interest to me and for which I am qualified, dwindled down to three or four per week. From the dozens of applications I filed, the many business cards I exchanged and the few real leads I followed up on, I have received precisely two interviews. Two interviews in six months; to say the least, not very encouraging.
Thanks entirely to friends, fellow Centennial students and instructors, I have gleaned some freelance work this spring. Though not enough to keep the wolf from the door, it is a tonic for my underemployed ego.
Last weekend I had coffee with an old friend who is happily employed at IKEA Canada. After hearing about my efforts to find work, she said, “So you wake up every morning and the first thing that happens is that you feel defeated?” Well, duh. I had really never thought about my job search that way. With infinite tact, my friend suggested that I cut my job hunt down to two or three mornings per week and that I spend the other mornings doing tasks that yeild immediate rewards: writing, gardening and home repairs.
Just hearing this sane advice I knew that she was right and this week, despite the heat, I feel lighter. I am finally coping with my situation in a positive way. Thanks Maureen!
