I'll Take It!

Wednesday morning I was in luck. I happened upon a few jobs within a couple hours of their being posted. Rare treasures indeed! One posting I was particularly excited about, because a) I had exactly the requested combination of experience and skills, and b) the location was in Jersey City- easily the closest job I have seen in a while.

I sent off my applications, then went about tackling the rest of job search-related items on my To Do list for the day. Then, around 6 PM, while checking my email yet another time in the afternoon, I saw a response regarding the Jersey City job. I called the recruiter right away, and got a bit of a lecture because he had expected me to contact him immediately. I of course refrained from citing the technical glitch, and sucked it up when he told me that the client had closed the job to applications in the interim. I thanked the recruiter when he closed the call by offering to keep me in mind for future opportunities. And when I hung up the phone, while I knew that such snafus can occur when you rely on technology for communication, I wondered what I could do in future to prevent a repeat.

Still, I was glad that at least I had gotten a response. And I suppose my "positive energy" paid off, because this morning I got an email from a company I applied to 3 weeks ago, asking if I was available for a phone screen. I immediately responded yes, and the screen was confirmed within minutes. Score! Finally. :p

In short, I am happy to take any encouraging signs I can find in this two month-old job search of mine. And two responses in a week is plenty encouraging, especially in this economic climate. Here's to hoping the phone screen goes well, and that it turns out to be the right opportunity for me. If not, then at least this week provided me with the needed reminder that there is a job out there waiting for me. And if it's my ideal job this time, so much the better...

Which came first- the job or the relocation?

I was thinking today about how often in my life I have moved for work. And it dawned me that every move that I've made post-university, save my last one, was for a job. As for my most recent move, I decided that New York was where I should be for the time being, and so I moved here, confident that I would find work. To be honest, it was one of the most unsettling decisions I've ever made, because let's face it- who does that when they're old enough to know better? I mean, it was a tremendous financial undertaking to take on good faith.

But move without a job I did. And within three weeks I managed to land my first contract. So now when my enquiries about jobs in Canada meet with the "local candidates only" response, I've got to ask myself what's the best way to proceed.

Granted, the current market is significantly more "depressed" now than it was when I made that last move of mine. I doubt that I can expect to go through all the expense and red tape of moving back to Canada and just happen upon a job. Life just isn't that simple, as anyone looking for a job nowadays can attest. Yet I can't shake the feeling that unless I move first, I won't get hired.

For the time being, since I qualify for unemployment here in New York, I may as well keep applying to jobs both in Canada and the greater New York area. But once that safety net expires, what's a girl to do? Any comments/tips would be appreciated.

There's No Time Like RIGHT NOW

Today I decided to get serious. I've got a "solid" background, to quote one recruiter, and yet my applications are being met with tolerance at best. Even when I chance upon a position within a couple hours of it being posted, the job is typically already closed.

So I decided to up the ante. Sure, in my personal life I'm all plugged in; I've got my blog, my twitter account, my social profile, etc. But what about my professional life. Because as much as the whole concept of being truly myself online jars with my sense of privacy, let's face it- in this economy, it's a necessity. And if there's one lesson that I have learned from my personal blogging/twittering, it's that contacts appear from the unlikeliest places.

I hope you'll enjoy my musings. I'm looking forward to us job searching together for tech writing, content development, and instructional design work. And hopefully having a few laughs along the way.

Onward and upward!