Into the Wild...Let The Hunt Begin #4

My Advice to Anyone Feeling Insecure About the Job Hunt

If anyone is reading this right now and, like me, is feeling insecure about the job hunt, I thought I'd write a little bit about my own insecurities and what I do to cope.

I may only be 24 years old, but I know a lot of wise people. And wise people give the best advice. I was talking to one such wise person today about life--mainly the job search and the looming COMPS. I told the story about how I was in class the other day and we went around and talked about any exciting positions we have applied to already. The young woman who went before me applied to the same school as I did for a position...and already got a call for a phone interview and a campus visit. Everyone ooh'd and ahh'd and congratulated her. On the outside, I acted like everyone else: extremely excited for her and proud of her accomplishment. And on one hand, I was! On the inside, though, I was mortified. Completely insecure.

Here I am, about to say "I applied to [insert same school name]" but I couldn't top her. Not after she dropped the "interview callback" bomb on us! I had NOT (and still haven't) heard back yet. Originally I was going to say, "It's only been a week, but fingers crossed!" but I couldn't say that anymore because this young woman said she got called back after a week or so. I distinctly remember our professor mentioning how she was a rare example of how some schools/positions move REALLY quick in the search process, and others do not. I was embarrassed, but hid it and said my piece (and was sure to mention other places I applied, too).

So what does my wise friend tell me? He asks me if I have read his blog. He uses his blog to practice an exercise to stay positive, so to speak. He suggested I try it sometime. What's the exercise? Writing down the top 5 things that you are grateful for each day. It helps get the mind off of the negatives--the insecurities that may be weighing you down or the bad moods/bad days that you go through. Here goes. Top 5 things I am grateful for from today, January 27, 2010.
1) Support from those both near and far. When awkward things (like the story I just told you) happen to me and involve people that are near, the people that are far are always lending an ear and pushing me along. Today several of those people lent me an ear. It's nice having cross-country connections and support systems. (Who knows if any of them are reading this, but thank you!)
2) People who make a difference. I saw amazing things happen today when a group of students and student affairs professionals put together efforts to support Haiti. The amount of people who attended today's informational session was overwhelming, and just the act of showing up makes a difference because it spreads the belief that we can have an impact.
3) The kind smile of a friendly dog. This may sound silly, but I have always loved how dogs can sense humans' emotions. I was filling up my gas tank when a dog from the car on the other side of the pump wandered over to me and sniffed my leg. When I looked down and realized he (or she) was there, he (or she) gave me a dog smile that brightened my day. Sometimes dog smiles are more infectious than people smiles, and smiling sends messages to the brain that you should be happy and therefore, your mood changes for the better! Thank you, stranger dog.
4) The internet. See, without the internet, how could I blog about all this nonsense up in my brain and spread it out to the world? It's cathartic, so thank you internet (and internet readers).
5) Nightfall. With each nightfall comes the end of a day. And with the end of a day comes the rise of a NEW day. I love knowing that each night, when I go to bed, I can wake up and try to tackle life all over again. To relate this to the job hunt, I know I can wake up and search for new positions and find ones that I can and want to apply to. I am grateful for that second (and third..and fourth..and fifth...etc) chance!

I certainly feel more positive. Wise people know what they're talking about--I suggest you try that exercise.