Slow Start

I set myself a challenge with my last post, one that I may not be up to. I promised my next post would be more uplifting. But with the way 2009 is beginning, that's a tall order. The job boards are not filled with jobs, although I'm always finding a few to which I can apply. I got a call at the beginning of the week from a recruiter on a job I had phone interviewed for right before Thanksgiving. The company with the opening is holding off until March before filling any positions. Another possibility, a job a friend of mine had told me about, probably won't be created until March. I've received a couple of "thanks but no thanks" emails in the last week or two. So that's the not so exciting news hurdle I have to get over to be more uplifting.

One ray of hope. I have an interview tomorrow for a job that required 3 years of experience in an industry in which I had none. I submitted an application the Tuesday before New Years with a cover letter that said why I didn't need 3 years of experience in their industry. And the next day, New Year's eve, I got a phone call with a request to come up and interview tomorrow. You can be sure that I am researching that industry before the interview.

My friends and family are staying positive with me. They are continuing to help me not lose hope. My mother in law called with an article from AARP that she thought might be helpful. A guy I play hoops with who is also in the same predicament had a good phone interview on Christmas eve and he told me about it last night, as if to disprove any pessimism I may be having. So, if you want positive, the signs are there. After all, as my outplacement counselor tells me, even when companies are laying people off, it's just a matter of finding the right match between and employer and my skills. It can happen.

How was that? More positive?