job searching

So, perhaps this will be a blog about my job searching process. Or maybe not, because future employers might check up on it. Hmmmm...

So several thoughts.

1. Hope is essential. Without vision the people perish, and hope deferred makes the heart sick. But God has been good to me. He is gracious and compassionate, and I am so grateful.
I found out Monday that I didn't get the Colorado job. It hurt, but not because the job was a dream job, but because it was something. It was a path to follow, to learn in, and to grow in. It gave me a direction and an opportunity to start over and reinvent myself to some extent. That's what I'm mourning the loss of, more than the loss of a possible job.
But alongside that, is the idea that I've got some major school loans that aren't going to repay themselves. I can eek out a survival for a few months, but that's essentially how long it would be to actually start working a job that I'm applying for right now, anyway.
So Tuesday, a friend called me out of the blue and reminded me of an opportunity to earn a little cash this weekend by helping out a professor. It's not much, but every bit helps when you're unemployed. And I love the couple that needs help, so I look forward to the opportunity to chat with them a bit. She also told me that she's part of a group that needs childcare helpers one morning a week, for $10/hr. Again, not much, but something.
Today, my sister sent me an email about a paid fellowship to work under the director of a major non-profit. It's again, not a dream job, but would be an excellent learning experience and it's paid! It's honestly the kind of learning experience that I wish Fuller had offered to me as a student. So that position, coupled with my recently earned Master's degree, could actually be an ideal launching pad for whatever's next.

2. I had a mentor who constantly told me not to self-edit when job searching. He said that companies dream up the ideal applicant, but are willing to accept someone who meets maybe 80% of the qualifications listed on their posting. Therefore, I should apply for jobs in which I don't meet the minimum requirements. Let them edit me out, I should always apply.
So what happens when I'm a perfect fit for the job description, where I do meet 100% of the qualifications, but I still don't get chosen? It's got to be something more at that point.

3. I've spent at least 8 hours in the past few days looking online for jobs to apply for. Of the positions that are in non-profit, 75% of them are "development", as in fund-raising. That's an area I have no experience in, and I don't do it well. I'm not a very convincing person, and I don't want to in any way manipulate people into doing something they don't want to do, ie give money to my organization. Especially if it's not a cause I don't have a huge passion for. There are many great causes out there, and I respect them, but personally, I can't in good conscience try to convince people to give them money. At least not if that's 90% of my job. I'd be willing to try of it's only 10% of my job description.
The next 10% of jobs that I've found that look interesting are "unpaid internships" or "volunteer positions". AKA, they don't pay a dime. Which, as we discussed under #1, is not an option with student loans hanging over my head. Which is quite unfortunate for me and the organization, because a lot of them are jobs that I would do very well in.
Then 10% are positions that require 10-15 years technical experience. They are generally for positions like "executive director" or "program manager", positions that I really am not qualified for, even though they look very interesting and, to some extent, feel like I could do.

Answer #1

Somehow, it came already.

"As I stand on the edge of "what in the world is next" and "how do I put this education to good use," I thought, "Man, I spent a lot of money on this degree. Was it worth it?" And I just came to the conclusion that it was worth it. Simply by the fact that I am cherishing these friendships and the memories of both living in L.A. and the times since, I wouldn't change the past, I cannot regret the dollars spent on grad school. These people have inspired and challenged me and whether they know it or now, they are helping me change, shaping me every day.

And they make me laugh. Every day."

Thanks, Jackie.

Test #1

Um, hi.

This is a test.

I am a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. But will it stay? Will the old person resurface inside of me? Will old habits, thought patterns, insecurities find space again in my heart and mind?

This is a test. Pray for me.

China v1

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back from China

It strikes me as ironic that my URL is "India on my mind", but I just returned from 2 months in China. A friend there suggested that few people like both India and China, they usually hate one and love the other. I neither loved nor hated China, and I have yet to go to India. It makes me wonder how I will like it!

So I've been back on US soil for less than 48 hours, and already I hate re-entry. My first few hours were great. My friend Libby picked me up from the airport and we went straight to my friend Eric's going away party. He is moving to Scotland, and I've already been planning my trip to the UK! It was great that I got to see him before he left, and it was fun to see a few other friends, too.

Yesterday I didn't leave my apartment all day. I spent most of it vegging on the couch. I didn't have the mental capacity to start my schoolwork yet, but I did unpack and do 4 loads of laundry. However, I foolishly didn't go to bed until 5am, then slept until 2pm. I'm already regretting that one! I didn't sleep that well. For the second night, I kept waking up, confused about which Asian city I was in! I think if I had gone to bed by a decent hour, I could have avoided the jetlag thing entirely.

So it's now 5pm, and I've gotten out of bed once: to make a pot of coffee to stave off the caffeine headache. It's strange to not have a job to go to, or any other commitments that require my presence at a certain time and place.

My friend Brian called me at 3pm. He was on his way home from work on the East Coast, I still hadn't gotten out of bed. He asked about China, but I'm already tired of talking about it. I'm sure I'll get into a routine - find a speech and repeat it over again to everyone who asks. If you read this and talk to me about China, it will probably be better for both of us if you ask me a more original question. I will appreciate the opportunity to think about a different aspect of my trip, and you'll get more than the standard reply. ;-) But I promise to answer even the more boring questions.

Thanks for checking back into my blog after a 3-month hiatus! There is more to come, I think, now that I'm state-side and job hunting!