Small world

I have become addicted to the internet, email and blogs specifically. Who knew there are so many kinds of blogs. Today I discovered some written by Americans who are in the Middle East, one in Iraq and one in Pakistan doing some kind of relief work. So interesting - a window into the real world that is so far away and so different from mine.

A Nepalese / Canadian friend of mine is currently back in Nepal visiting his family. We IM'd each other a couple of nights ago, and I was struck with amazement that I could communicate with someone instantly who is half way around the world. How does that work?? He told me he is playing with children in an orphanage in Katmandu. He took them on a three hour hike up a mountain. It is hot, it is sunny. I told him my feet are freezing and I'm looking at my backyard with tree-branches heavy with snow. Also that I'm worried about my commute to my new job on the sleety highway.

How did the world get this small? Isn't it amazing?

Immersion (blog of relief workers)
Can of Worms (American soldier in Iraq)

Antidote to stress

Well, here are some antidotes to the job hunting stress I talked about in my last post.

Clarity Have a goal and keep that goal in mind. Set backs just bring you closer to your goal. Visualize a winning interview, a happy job situation. Rejection is part of the journey - it's not the end of the story.

Courage Go to the interview with head held high. Smile. Be glad you are there, glad to talk to the interviewers. Be proud. You know you can do this job. Let that confidence shine.

Patience When you don't think the right questions are being asked, be good humoured. You do not know the whole situation, just a small piece. The world is large and every interview doesn't have to be a meeting of the minds. There is room for all opinions. Somewhere, you will meet the right people and find the right work.

Optimism Keep going. Work that is meant for you will appear. Good humour will serve you better than anger and depression. It is a game. Your turn to win will come.

There, that is better isn't it? It is a lot more fun to write in any case. So when I am next on the job hunt, I will refer back to this and see if I can apply it.

Buddy can you spare a dime

I've been pounding the pavement (pounding the keyboard actually) for the past month and a half looking for work, and let me tell you, it hasn't been a lot of fun. It has been good practice in taking rejection with good humour however.

Now that I've snared a small contract at least, I feel I can share some of my stress. What does the stress consist of?

1. Confusion Why did they not hire me at the five interviews I went to? Was it my suit? It's a few years old, maybe I need a new one. Did I not click with the interviewer? Was I a know-it-all? Was I shy and unconfident?
   
2. Fear I will be a bag lady. My son will be scooping me out of the gutter and buying me donuts. There is something deeply wrong with me that prevents me from every being hired.
   
3. Anger The interview sucked. They asked the stupidest questions. How could they not agree that I am the perfect employee? They have no insight into what it takes to do this job. I have tried hard, I should have work by now. Unfair!
   
4. Depression It is useless to go to another interview. They won't like me. I'd best stay in bed and finish this mystery novel. The novel will at least not reject me...

Wow, this sounds like the stages of grief, except I think there may be a few more stages for death. Well, unemployment takes a holiday now from my house, and I can now afford some of the 'fruits' of life in Toronto.

For advice in actually getting a job, see this article from Penelope Trunk, super-blogger on career topics:
How to turn an interview into a job.