Its been a while since I last posted about looking for work and conducting informational interviews. I’ll bet you are wondering…so how goes that job search? Well, its had its ups and downs. Meeting someone who inspires me during an informational interview is definitely an UP experience. Being invited to interview for a position is positive, too. Waiting to find out if I got the job—hmmm, not so much. Through it all, I’ve experienced fear, self-doubt, excitement, exhilaration, and disappointment—and not necessarily in that order. One thing about being unemployed is that it gives one ample time to reflect.
This week, I received the nicest “no thank you email” from a prospective employer. In addition to letting me know that I just wasn’t quite right for the position, they also said they found my qualifications “impressive” and would like to keep my resume on file. Knowing, that the position was not my heart’s desire, I thought, what a relief they didn’t want me. So I mentally said thank you for the lovely complement and by all means keep my resume on file.
In my moments of spiritual optimism, I believe that my future workplace and I are destined to meet each other. Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay, The Over-Soul, says, “The things that are really for thee gravitate to thee. You are running to seek your friend. Let your feet run, but your mind need not. …For there is a power, which, as it is in you, is in him also, and could therefore very well bring you together, if it were for the best.” Truly, that’s what I wish for, that my next work situation is the best for them and for me.
I’ve heard people describe how they felt a gravitational pull toward another person who then became their best friend or lover. I’ve certainly experienced meeting new friends and knowing somehow they were meant to be a part of my life. In that case, finding my new job is just a grown-up version of hide and seek. The days I am enjoying this adventure instead of being afraid, I can see each moment as an opportunity that is taking me closer to the organization that says “Wow, your qualifications are really impressive and we would love to have you come and work with us.” Ready or not, here I come.