Weary Wings

Friday, May 25, 2012

Catching Up

It's been a bit since I've posted so I wanted to check in and let everyone know what's going on. I'll be back to my series of letters soon, there are so many to write, but for now a quick update will have to do.

For the last few months I have been completely consumed with searching for a job. After six years of being at home and working part time here and there, it's time for me to go back into the workforce. Truth be told, it's been time for a while. Our finances simply cannot stretch any further and we need the second income. As much as I know that working will add some stress to my life, it will be nice to have less stress regarding money.

So, back to the job search. It totally sucks. I have found myself in this weird position with lots of education and a minimal amount of experience in a variety of areas. My resume looks like it tells the story of someone who can't seem to decide what to do with herself, which is partly true, but it's also been circumstantial to some degree. Nevertheless, that resume is my introduction to people who haven't decided to meet me in person yet and it doesn't seem to be doing the job. Thankfully, we have a friend at church who works as a recruiter and has offered to look it over and help me out. I've also found a church (some distance away) in the Houston area that has a ministry specifically for people who are between jobs. I've been once and it was helpful. I will go back in the next week or two to have their resume coach look over it as well. With all this extra help I've got to be on my way to getting a resume together that will get me those interviews.

That's not to say that I haven't had any interviews or interview offers. My first interview in this search was with a marketing company. I was all ready to sell myself and my skills and be personable until he asked me who my role model was in the business world. Ummm, what? I froze. The only person I could think of was my pastor. Truthfully, that answer is the truth. He left a comfortable secure job at a mega-church to move to another city and plant a church. He has done the work of getting out into the community and meeting people to build his network and thus grow our church. Honestly, I think it's a valid answer, but I didn't really have a chance to pull myself together and articulate that well so I ended up sounding like a bored housewife who doesn't know anyone and never leaves the house. Needless to say, that was my last contact with that company. Ah well.

Then came the dry spell. Sending out countless resumes each day. Obsessing over checking my email. Getting on Craigslist every hour to hopefully catch new posts as soon as they came up. If I'm honest, this is how most of this job search has been. Searching, sending, obsessing, searching, sending, obsessing...you get the picture. In the midst of all this I did start the process of writing a test to be a freelance writer for a company in Houston. In addition to that, I was connected to a website that is actually willing to pay me to write and post articles. It doesn't pay very much so I can't give up my job search but it's been nice to get to break up the cycle with a little writing now and then. My days have since evolved to searching, sending, writing, obsessing...still very much a dry spell.

I finally broke down and started applying to any job I could think of. Grocery stores, Target, Sam's Club. I even took a day and walked through the mall filling out every application I could get my hands on. It's been humbling to realize that when I apply for these jobs I am just as inexperienced as any high school kid applying as well. Doesn't matter though. I need a job. Any job. Any pay. Any hour. I need a job.

Finally last week I got a call from a law firm asking some pre-interview questions. It wasn't much and they didn't promise they'd call me back, but I was encouraged. In another couple of days the grocery store called and invited me to a group interview. I said I'd be there. Then the law firm called back and invited me to interview. I've gone to both of those now. I'm waiting to hear from the law firm and was invited back for a second interview with the grocery store (weird that you need to do more than one interview to work at a grocery store).  In the meantime, one of the mall stores called and set up an interview. And even with these interviews coming in, I know this job search is a marathon and I keep searching, sending and, yes, obsessing. (Oh me of little faith.)

Here's what's funny. As much as I think I am qualified to work at the law firm, I'm beginning to wonder if one of the other jobs isn't a better fit for the time being. It's not that I don't want a career. I most certainly do. But this period of unemployment has given me a clearer vision of what I want that career to be. I want to write. I have always wanted to write I just never considered that it might actually be a possibility until now. And I'm wondering if taking a job at the grocery store with a flexible schedule and less stress would allow me to save some of that mental energy for when I get home so I can do what I love. Write. And maybe, just maybe, someday I can get paid a decent paycheck for it. Wouldn't that be amazing?

I'm writing all this here to let you all know that I really need prayer in all this. Prayer for direction. Prayer for whatever job God has for me to open up quickly and help meet some of the financial needs that our family has. We just need your prayers. It's been a difficult time of scraping by and we are really at the end of our rope. We need a miracle and I need a job. The truth is, I'll probably take the first job that is offered to me. I can't afford not to. So I guess I would also ask that you would pray that God in His sovereignty would allow the first job to be the right job. I ask that you would pray that He would be directing all of this and showing how to step into His plan for my future, whether it be short term or long term. Or both.

Also, since I've learned that the best way to take my mind off my own stresses is to invest in others, why don't you leave any prayer requests you have in the comments. Let's commit to be praying for each others needs and trusting for one another that God will have His way in our lives. Let's pray blessings over one another and believe in Our Father to do the wonderful miracles He wants to do in our lives. And, most of all, let's be praying that no matter what we're going through, it would be growing us closer to Him.

Until next time,
Kim