August, 2006 -
Although losing your job stinks, in every way possible, I pride myself in trying to find the 'good' in most situations. And, considering I live in frigid Wisconsin, where it's chilly 8 months of the year, losing my job in June wasn't the worst thing.
I have a great condo with a pool, so by mid-June I was already operating with a full-blown-summer-tan. I never looked so healthy! Oh yea, and I was looking for work (on the rainy days).
Actually, my unemployment period began strong, because a recruiter contacted me with a job opportunity within the first week. The opportunity was in the Chicago-land area for a national company. I was excited. Historically, I've been a professional nomad. I'm willing to up-root and move for the right opportunity.
When you're single, you can make these moves hastily. I've always thought that made me more marketable, although....I'm starting to wonder if my zest for chasing career opportunities is a direct correlation to my lack of a healthy relationship with a man.
Oh well, I'm unemployed, I can only focus on one character flaw at a time.....
So, I began the interview process with the national company. First, a phone interview with the recruiter. Followed by an extensive writing assignment and a face-to-face interview with the perspective new boss. It was during this first meeting that the harsh reality of the cruelness-of-the-employed hit me in the face.
The employed people, who stand in judgment of you, seem to have such an arrogant air, don't they? Ever notice? They strut into the meeting all self-righteous and EMPLOYED. And, even though I've often held the same titles as those who stand between me and my next career opportunity, I have to take their pompous abuse while bending over and saying, "Thank you, may I have another?" It's maddening.
So, it's month one and I'm in a face-to-face interview with the Chicago area possibility. The potential boss glides into the room, all glossy and confident. I stood to shake her hand, and no sooner had my rear-end touched the chair as I sat back down, before she blurted, "You know, if it wasn't for the recruiter being so impressed with you, I would never have agreed to meet with you. You've had several different jobs in a short amount of time, what's up with that?"
Wow, stinging words from a woman I could easily 'take' in a back-alley cat fight. I took a deep breath before uttering, "Would you like me to explain my resume and the recent career change I just went through?"
"Sure" she responded. Well, by the end of that meeting, she was dripping all over me and telling me how much she liked me and how much energy I could bring to their organization. Thank goodness I have extensive media experience. I've interviewed professional athletes from the NBA to the NFL and beyond. I'm not impressed by celebrity and I can certainly smell a line of crap when it's thrown my direction.
But, being unemployed, much like being single, makes you overlook the obvious flaws in the potential 'partner'. Be it a business partner or a love-interest.....when you're LOOKING too hard for the right connection, it always seems to elude you. So, you end up 'settling' for Mr. Right -Now, instead of Mr. Right.
I knew there were obvious flaws with this potential new company, but the need to pay my mortgage gave me incentive to carry on with the conversations. And, there were many. I had several more phone interviews with the recruiter, a two hour psychological exam and another writing assignment that took nearly six hours to complete. Nearly two months passed, and by the end of July I was invited to their offices to "meet -the -team".
I was so full of myself as I made the 53 mile drive to their location that morning. I thought I had the world in my back-pocket. I'd survived my latest unemployment stint, had a great tan and was refreshed and relaxed.
To this day, I'm still not exactly sure where it all went wrong. Suffice it to say, I could feel the momentum had shifted when I still hadn't received the 'offer' phone call nearly one week after my 'meet-the-team' visit.
And, sure enough, the recruiter called and delivered the punch-in-the-gut news. The Chicago company was going to go in "another direction".
"yea, straight to Hell" (was the voice in my head). I swallowed my pride, as I cheerfully thanked the recruiter for the opportunity, and she wished me luck as we hung up the phone.
That was the first month of unemployment.
