On Monday I was in pretty tough shape. I was okay physically, but very discouraged. I have been trying to find a job for about two months and despite sending out what feels like hundreds of resumes, I had received no response. I work 10 hours a week in a college cafeteria making dinner for the students and serving them as they go through the food line. I love to cook, so learning to cook for 60 has been interesting and I enjoy talking and interacting with the students so I like the job. But 10 hours a week is not enough money to pay my bills and either I have to find either another job in addition to my current job, or get a full time job. I have been hoping for a full-time job.
Last weekend I submitted my resume to an employment agency in hopes they had a job available. When I submitted my resume via email I told them I would call and schedule an appointment to meet with them during the week. So I called the employment agency Monday morning and was able to go in and speak with someone Monday afternoon. Interestingly enough, my resume never made it to the office so the person I met with had no idea who I was. I filled out an application and handed her a copy of my resume and we talked. We talked for about an hour. She asked questions about my work experience, what my goals are (my major for my Bachelors degree is religion – does this mean I intend to be a minister?), specific skills I have, and what kind of job I wanted. She told me I have some great job skills, but my resume needed to be more specific, more detailed, and that even experience 20 years back should be listed. She also encouraged me personally by telling me she knew if I could get in the door for an interview, I would get the job; it was obvious to her that I am capable, intelligent, and could do any job put before me. In the course of hour I went from feeling like I was incapable and hopeless to someone who could do anything and for whom the possibilities were endless. I left her office with confidence and felt encouraged to keep trying to find a job.
I did tweek my resume doing all of the things she suggested, so it was more detailed and specific. With my newly tweeked resume and a new sense of confidence, I started looking through the online job boards again and found two jobs apply for. But these jobs were different then the jobs I had previously applied for. Instead of applying for something safe, I stepped up and applied for jobs I knew I could do based on job requirements and experience, but would have hesitated to apply for in the past. The one job had me do a kind of interview online. They asked a question and I typed my response in an answer space. There were seven questions and I was able to use examples from previous jobs and demonstrate what I know about doing the job they are hiring for and give them an idea of my interpersonal skills. If I did well on this pre-interview, they would contact me about an in-person interview. They called yesterday and I have an interview on Tuesday. I went from no response when I submitted a resume to having an interview within two days of submitting a resume.
Was it my newly redone resume, my applying for the right job, or God’s timing that landed me the interview? I imagine some combination of the three. There is no guarantee that I will get this job; I know that. But I also know that I will forever look back on the appointment Monday, February 13th as a turning point in my life. Before the appointment I had the determination to get a job and move forward in my life, but lacked the confidence; now I have the determination and confidence. And that makes me unstoppable. What a difference a day makes!!
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