My friend Jackie posted this link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/jobs/06search.htmlon her FB page and it got me thinking about how I'm managing my time in my search. I'm not. An interview trumps everything, even those ridiculous phone interviews where I block out the time and stay home so I can be pre screened without any white noise or distractions. As much as I attempt to organize the different functions in my search (this is where being in sales is truly helpful because a job search is not that much different from what a salesperson does everyday), the hiring people aren't performing their roles in this production very well. They're not picking up the phone when I call to see if they received my resume, they're not responding to my emails and mostly, they're not providing information. As in any sales cycle, information is valuable and we waste so much time chasing it. The beauty of email is you can inform but don't have to engage. So a simple "We appreciate your interest in our company, but you're not a good fit" response means I can cross them off the list and move on. Communication and courtesy would make this process so much easier.
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Saw this poster on the kitchen wall of a friend's new home today. It still rings so true for me.
ReplyDeleteDesiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata