“Every experience in your life is being orchestrated to teach you something you need to know to move forward.”
Brian Tracy
One of the things my wife and I had to sacrifice in moving from New Jersey to Colorado was the comfort and security of our careers. This was probably our biggest concern in making our final decision to relocate across the country. While the economy in Colorado is much different than that of the Tri-State area, searching for new employment is never easy – especially if you haven’t done it in a while.
We knew we’d have the same career fate no matter when we chose to move – unless of course we waited until we retired. But by then we’d have wasted so much time on an indefinite future.
My wife and I began applying for positions about a month before we left New Jersey – in the hopes of securing phone interviews before our actual arrival. To our delight my wife was not only able to obtain several interviews, she was offered and accepted a teaching position before we ever stepped foot in Colorado. How often does that happen, right?
But as for me, well, it hasn’t been so easy.
It’s been about a month of searching and applying and fine tuning my resume, and yet still I’m regretfully unemployed. While the process was exciting in the beginning – the chance to start a new career is always filled with hope and possibility – now it’s become a chore and a somewhat disheartening experience.
It’s funny, for the first time in my life I feel as though I have the skills and abilities to be truly competitive in my career – to be an asset to any organization who afforded me the opportunity to shine. And yet here I am a month out and I’m still searching and applying to positions I’m qualified for and even overqualified for in an effort to simply secure employment and get my foot in the door.
My wife hadn’t applied for a job in over ten years and the pressure associated with today’s job hunting was truly overwhelming to her. The process is something not easily explained if you haven’t done it in a while. Competition is fierce, online applications can be exhausting, and sadly many times organizations are evaluating you based on a computer model and not necessarily the actual person you are.
And perhaps worst of all, you have no control over it. You could have the perfect resume and cover letter, modest salary requirements, glowing references and solid, proven experience and that still doesn’t guarantee you a chance for a face-to-face interview.
The quote above does provide me some solace however. I have to believe in my heart that this experience is truly meant to teach me something I need to know to move forward. Perhaps it’s to have more patience (something I’m truly lacking), to take notice of the many blessings I currently have, or maybe to stop seeking a high salary and illustrious title and instead find work that makes me feel happy and fulfilled.
Whatever the lesson might be, I will continue my daily search for employment and try not to let it consume my emotional well-being to the point of lunacy. And for all those out there, who can relate to everything I’m talking about, hang in there. I’ve been down this road before and it does eventually work out. Here’s hoping it does for all of us.
