My Name isn't Earl...

...but I'm thinking of changing it.

Earl Hickey may turn out to be the philosopher of this decade. Since watching the show (http://www.nbc.com/My_Name_Is_Earl), I find myself applying Earl's karmic findings to my own life. It's also funny that I hear Jason Lee's voiceover track running through my head. Just the other day, I was in the express lane at the grocery store with a cart that contained close to the 10 item limit. A girl came up behind me with a head of lettuce in her hand, so I asked if she'd like to go ahead of me since she only had one thing to buy. As she went ahead, I heard Earl's voice saying, "When you do something nice for someone else, it makes you feel nice too." I think that's the beauty of the show...it's a simple idea & those are usually the best kind. That, and the fact that Jamie Pressly's character, Joy, is one of the funniest things ever on TV. If you haven't ever watched it, treat yourself on a Thursday night at 9:00 p.m.

The reason I'm talking about Earl is b/c karma is a good thing to keep in mind during a job search. The ups & downs of looking for work are crazy & it makes you feel like YOU'RE going crazy. One day can be filled with positive thoughts, endless possibilities & boundless enthusiasm. You find lots of leads, make some significant progress & generally feel good about your prospects. The next day, for no apparent reason, every job posting sounds like crap, you're not motivated to do anything & you've resigned yourself to thinking that you'll never get another job ever again, or you'll be forced to take a job you don't really want just b/c you need a paycheck. As many times as I've had to look for a job (which technically, isn't THAT many), it's amazing how little the process & your feelings that go with it change.

As predicted, I was pretty cranky today due to lack of sleep. Being cranky is a lot different when there's no one to be cranky to. While John was at work, I was at home, sitting in front of the computer. It was one of those crappy job search mornings I just mentioned, so I wasn't in the best frame of mind. But you know what they say...you have to treat a job search like a full time job, so even though I was ready to throw in the towel at 9:30 a.m., I kept going for the rest of the morning.

Last week, I sent off about 10-15 cover letters & resumes to job postings. Not just blind, 'I hope you're hiring' letters - these places were actually looking & had placed online ads. Had I heard back from any of them? No. Not even an email to say thanks but no thanks. Nothing. I also left a message for the woman I really want to work for (from whom I've already had an initial response) last week & still hadn't heard back from her either. I wasn't ready to write her off though b/c that's the job I truly want & although I know a week isn't very long, in job-search land, it feels like an eternity. Yes, I think it's fair to say that I was feeling quite discouraged this morning...& this is only my second full week of looking!

This seems to be an apropos time to point out the rudeness encountered during a typical job search, which seems to be getting worse. I know people are busy & they've got a million & one things to do every day, but when you're looking to fill a position & someone takes the time to show their interest, the LEAST you can do is acknowledge that interest. I'm not saying you have to call them & have an hour long conversation, but don't just leave them hanging. Besides being a bad reflection on the company itself, it's just bad manners. It takes 5 minutes to respond to an email inquiry...how hard is that? Companies have made it so easy on themselves to avoid any type of contact from prospective employees these days. "Please don't call or fax the office." "Only applicants with suitable experience will be contacted." Blah blah blah. Listen up! If you're a person with hiring responsibilities, here's some advice...a little bit of consideration goes a long way.

I wasn't expecting to go on that little detour of a rant. Sorry. We now return to our regularly scheduled program.

Since I made myself sit at the computer longer than I wanted & still wasn't feeling like I was making any progress, after lunch, I decided to take a break & treat myself with a trip to New Seasons Market. I hadn't been to the location closest to us yet & thought that finding it on my own would give me a sense of accomplishment that wasn't forthcoming from today's job search. So, off I went in the car with my MapQuest directions sitting next to me in the passenger seat. I got a bit off-track & had to turn around once, but I did find it & you know what? I was pretty proud of myself!

New Seasons is a wonderful store & for a while, I just wandered the aisles; learning where everything was; picking things up & putting them down again & generally just enjoying myself. I bought a few treats, like the new Mayan chocolate Haagen Dazs (http://www.haagendazs.com/segicd.do?productId=339), one of these awesome Chocolove chocolate bars (http://chocolove.com/toffee.htm), tzatziki (I couldn't ever find this in Florida & I really missed it) & a demi French baguette (just b/c it was cute & anything that's cute & made of bread goes in my cart). I went home a very happy girl. That little trip to the market changed my whole outlook on the day & on the way home, I heard Earl talking to me again. "Do good things & good things will happen to you." Although this mantra normally applies to doing good things for others, I think it applies to yourself as well. Treat yourself well & something good will come back to you.

So what happened to me tonight? I got a call from the woman I've been waiting to hear from & I've got an interview with her in two weeks! She apologized for not getting back to me sooner, but explained that her book is coming out at the end of the week & then she's going away for a week, so she's been trying to get everything tied up. See? A little consideration on her behalf went a L-O-N-G way with me!

According to my good friend Earl, "if you want the reward, you have to do the work", so from now until my interview, I'm going to do everything I can to get this job. I'm going to study her website. I'm going to prepare possible questions & answers. I'm going to try my best not to work myself into a bundle of nerves. I'm going to think positive thoughts & believe in myself. And I'm going to make it happen. Because this is the first interview I've had where I'm actually excited about the job itself, rather than just the prospect of a paycheck.

One of the best things I've done with all of this time off is really take the time to figure out exactly what I need to be happy in life & in work & I think this job can offer me a lot of what I'm looking for. At the same time, I think I have a lot to offer as well. So, I'll happily do the work (I may even whistle while I do it) to get to where I want to be, but if anyone has some spare fairy dust they'd like to sprinkle in my general direction, I don't think it can hurt!

And so, in the immortal words of Earl Hickey, "Never underestimate the power of confidence. And never underestimate fifteen beers, a little enlightenment, and the power of Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock."

Peace out,
PortlandGirl