30 5 / 2012
The Time Machine
On April 17, 2012, I decided I wasn’t waiting anymore. I started looking for a new job and life in San Francisco. About a week before, I received a birthday present from a friend–a Time Machine. No, not that kind of time machine–it’s a kinetic display clock that increments time by shifting around chrome ball bearings to minutes and hours.
For over a month, it sat on my desk at work without a power source. I really had no excuse to leave it sitting there neglected; it accepts C batteries or 6 volt DC. I was finding myself rationalizing the reasons why I shouldn’t waste my time turning it on. “Why haven’t you bought batteries,” my coworkers would ask. “I could have a job anytime now,” I’d think to myself.
One of my work friends who knows about my job search wrote, “LAME,” on a Post-It Note and stuck it on the Time Machine so passersby could see my shame. I’d tell my lunchtime confidant, “but, I’ll be gone soon!” Every few days he’d check on the Time Machine and tease me about the neglected state of my desk gadget.
I couldn’t avoid the obvious correlations to my own life. I’ve been ignoring the here and now. My work hasn’t been affected; I’ve always been praised for being a top performer, but the only thing I seem to be focused on is my current job and finding my next one. When I go home, I’m usually in the living room on my laptop looking for leads as I “watch” (more like listen) to my favorite TV shows. I’m constantly missing visual cues on Mad Men and Community.
I took Memorial Day weekend off from the job search to enjoy a much-needed vacation from all obligations. Reading résumé tips, networking on LinkedIn, and researching new opportunities can’t happen every day. In fact, I should probably pick a day each week to relax and not focus on the job search at all. It will come in time.
I did finally get around to putting batteries in the Time Machine. And while there is no actual time machine that will magically transport me to my next destination, I’m perfectly content to give myself an occasional break to watch the time pass by.
30 4 / 2012
YONOJ: You Only Need One Job
That’s what I keep telling myself. I’ve been submitting plenty of résumés, but nothing has come up… yet. You only need one job—YONOJ. I’ll make time for YOLO once this job search is over. The hunt continues!
Right now, I’m using Path.To, SF Craigslist, and LinkedIn to look for jobs. I’m tracking all of it in Huntsy.
I use LinkedIn to network with recruiters and connect with professional colleagues (who may have connections when they move on to new opportunities). I’ve become a fan of the recommendations feature lately. It feels great to give them and when you get an awesome one, it can really set you apart from other job candidates.
Path.To matches you to jobs based on your social network information (including LinkedIn), skills, and work environment preferences. It’s incredibly simple to use and it’s provided me leads that I haven’t found anywhere else! The only thing I’d change is allowing attachments when applying to jobs. I’ve spent a lot of time formatting my résumé and I’m unable to share it with the employer unless I click the “Apply via Company Website” button.
Craigslist is still a favorite. Easy to navigate, the search works perfectly (I use boolean operators to refine my search), and it’s an easy transaction… I find a job that interests me, I click the email link (usually, not always available), attach my cover letter (or compose it in email) and résumé and I’m done! No registration, no login, no job cart! Definitely not as customized to my preferences as Path.To, but enjoyable nonetheless.
And of course, my Huntsy account is ON FIRE tracking all of these jobs. It’s been a lifesaver. I can’t think of a time where I’ve had time to apply for a job the same time that I’ve seen it, so I’ve been using the +Huntsy bookmarklet incessantly. I enjoy the positive encouragement as I complete my daily to-dos. I can watch my progress move from red, to yellow, to green.
