It turns out that job hunting isn't much fun.
Maybe it's a private school thing, or maybe it's a Gen Y thing, or maybe it's that as a white, wealthy, non-disabled, cisgendered, heterosexual, thin-bodied person I'm sitting on a shit-ton of barely-acknowledged privilege, but I've just always expected things to work out for me RIGHT AWAY. I feel like I've spent my whole life walking casually into scholarships and part-time jobs, and now that I would quite like to pay rent and buy board games useful grown up things, suddenly it's just not working out for me any more.
It's that perplexing feeling of "But... I'm quite smart. Did you look at my CV? I'm quite smart. Look, it says so here." *points*
But apparently people aren't very interested in my being quite smart. And, well, fair enough. It's not an uncommon trait. And I'm sure lots of people are quite smart and also very experienced.
Yet it's still frustrating to apply for job after job I know I can do and get nothing every time. Rejections are actually quite refreshing compared to the silence. (My favourite job hunting experience so far has to be getting rejected for the same job twice. Thanks, you guys, I got the point.)
It's a relief to know I'm not the only one struggling. Not because I take delight in my friends' unemployment, but because at least it means it's not just me. Of course there are things I could do better (note to self: more glitter in cover letters), but I don't feel like I have to blame my fruitless job search entirely on my own incompetence.
Well, not yet. Give me another month and we'll see.
In the mean time I'm hoping to scrape together enough freelance* and part-time work that I don't entirely run through my savings in the first two months. I've even signed up with an au pairing site, because it has to count for something that I've always wanted to be Mary Poppins. It sounds better than "average with kids", at any rate.**
And if all else fails, then I'll don my pirate hat and go and open that pirate-themed vegan bakery/baby sloth sanctuary after all.
Meet the sloths from Lucy Cooke on Vimeo.
(If it's not obvious why I'm adding a baby sloth sanctuary to my bakery, I think you need to watch the video again.)
*I've earned all of $38 so far. High five? Anyone? Oh, ok.
**And even that's rounding up.
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| Another one? |
It's that perplexing feeling of "But... I'm quite smart. Did you look at my CV? I'm quite smart. Look, it says so here." *points*
 |
| Right here. |
But apparently people aren't very interested in my being quite smart. And, well, fair enough. It's not an uncommon trait. And I'm sure lots of people are quite smart and also very experienced.
Yet it's still frustrating to apply for job after job I know I can do and get nothing every time. Rejections are actually quite refreshing compared to the silence. (My favourite job hunting experience so far has to be getting rejected for the same job twice. Thanks, you guys, I got the point.)
It's a relief to know I'm not the only one struggling. Not because I take delight in my friends' unemployment, but because at least it means it's not just me. Of course there are things I could do better (note to self: more glitter in cover letters), but I don't feel like I have to blame my fruitless job search entirely on my own incompetence.
Well, not yet. Give me another month and we'll see.
In the mean time I'm hoping to scrape together enough freelance* and part-time work that I don't entirely run through my savings in the first two months. I've even signed up with an au pairing site, because it has to count for something that I've always wanted to be Mary Poppins. It sounds better than "average with kids", at any rate.**
And if all else fails, then I'll don my pirate hat and go and open that pirate-themed vegan bakery/baby sloth sanctuary after all.
Meet the sloths from Lucy Cooke on Vimeo.
(If it's not obvious why I'm adding a baby sloth sanctuary to my bakery, I think you need to watch the video again.)
*I've earned all of $38 so far. High five? Anyone? Oh, ok.
**And even that's rounding up.
This sucks! May you find the most awesomely perfect job real soon! Although, that pirate themed bakery/sloth sanctuary does sound pretty amazing, have you tried pitching that to the bank for a small business loan? Just make it clear that you will never allow Otters...
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have some very tentative leads, so I'm optimistic (this week). It comes and goes. I think the bakery is actually pretty much Plan A. I just thought I'd look at other ideas while I'm landlocked. Obviously, otters would not be allowed on board. They will frolic alongside the ship.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason why I'm in Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteA recent arrival to Taiwan (also a South African) told me about her work. They received on average 3 CVs per week and her boss told her to ignore any that weren't black AND female. When she pointed out to her boss that some had many years of experience, he told her he had to fill a quota.
SA - this is why you are failing.
I just don't know how you can be so cavalier about otters after what they did to St Mary...
ReplyDelete