The Joys of Adulthood: Job Hunting

 

“Searching for a job, is a job in itself.” As the old saying goes, embarking on a job search can be exhausting, stressful, but ultimately rewarding (hopefully). Maybe you too have experienced the joy of this important milestone. Or maybe you haven’t, and could use some insight into it. 

Well, as Shannon and I continue to get settled in San Diego, CA, I am job hunting myself. The usual go-to move of repetitive online searching and applying is the easiest way, but perhaps not the most effective. We all basically throw our resumes into the bottomless pit of online applications that are rarely looked at and even less frequently considered, clinging to the smidge of hope that one day someone will respond. Or you can pull the old-fashioned move of going to the organization in person and asking to speak with the hiring manager. Ballsy.

The other option is that you send your application directly to HR, follow-up with a phone call within 24h to a few days, and make a better impression that way. This has been effective for me in the past, and it could be in your future too.

Source: Hubpages.com

Things can go awry in these situations too, though.  Most recently, I accepted a job offer to work as a Fundraiser with Greenpeace. With a strong background and passion for environmental policy, I was blown away at the opportunity to work for such a powerful organization. Well, while the online job description explained one thing, it meant another and during training, I realized I was hired to canvass, meaning I stop people in the middle of the street (or mall), talk to them about a recent Greenpeace campaign, and eventually ask them to donate money.  

With canvassing in general, I learned on my first day that I am actually very capable of doing it, but not to my enjoyment and definitely not able to do so full-time. Too much stress, as many people just ignore you and brush you off. Doing this for eight hours a day, I concluded, was best suited to other people. 

So as you can see, the job hunt will surprise you. You’ll think you’ve landed something interesting, but in the end realize you don’t want to stop people as they go have lunch at the funky looking Mexican restaurant around the corner. Okay, maybe this isn’t always the case but all I’m saying is be prepared. For anything. In the end, you will learn to better explain yourself – as you interview for various positions and convince others to hire you, understand the local job market a little better, and hopefully find a job you are happy waking up for.  Or happy enough to make it work.