You know, when I accepted that previous job offer I knew it didn’t feel right. Initially, I even turned it down because it just felt off. As my intuition is very sharp, it didn’t come as a huge surprise to me when it didn’t work out. I used the opportunity to take a step back from my job hunt and think about what I really wanted from my career. Did I want to settle? Well, yes and no. I didn’t want to settle in to a job that would make me stray too far from the path I want to take in life (for example, working front line with the homeless population), but at the same time I knew that by setting my standards too high I likely wouldn’t be getting anywhere (for example, applying for jobs that required a Masters of Social Work degree). Originally, I was only applying for jobs that were identical to my first career-type job. It was safe, and I guess I wanted to make my transition into Toronto as smooth as possible and for life to seem the same as it had been. While I did get one call back, the fact that I no longer have a drivers license was a major roadblock down that path so I stopped applying to jobs that required driving (which are common in the social work field). I had a moment a few months in to the search where I sat back and realized that trying to recreate my life in Calgary wasn’t really a good idea at all. I wasn’t looking for opportunities to grow and expand my skills and knowledge, I was looking to go back in time and potentially fall in to a position that would make life as stagnant as possible.

So I expanded my job search and instead of looking at which jobs I wanted, I researched agencies I would like to work for. It is so important to me as an individual to have a job where I am making a positive difference in my community, and I know that I need to be working for an organization or agency that I truly care about. A few weeks ago, I got called in for an interview at one particular agency that was on my list. After a computer test and two interviews, they offered the job to someone else. I was completely deflated. The interview had gone so well that I walked out of the interview on the top of the world. Then they told me that while they found someone better suited for the position, they liked me so much that they wanted to find me a job within the agency that was better suited to me. They didn’t want to lose me, and I was somebody who felt she had nothing left to lose. I had forgotten how much I had to offer, and how my personality and my enthusiasm would be an asset to an agency. They offered me another position for a similar position with a different team, and I delightedly accepted it. 

So after months and months of tears of frustration and anxiety, I was finally able to cry tears of joy and pure happiness. I immediately made a few rounds of phone calls and when I told my Mom the news I have never, ever, in my life heard her sound so happy. I have had so much incredible support and love shown to me by my friends and family over the past year. I know people often say this, but I truly don’t think I could have managed the last year of my life without my team of friends and family around me. As always, big shout out to my Timbo, who is wonderful and supportive and loving and adorable and all that nice boyfriend stuff. I’m a very lucky, blessed girl in the family and friends department.

As I currently have two part time jobs, I’ll be quitting my bartending job and keeping my job at Boots (so all of you discount abusers, you’re in luck). May 16th is the big day at the new job and I’m taking the weekend prior to that one off to come home to the Farm and celebrate and kiss babies and to drink too much beer and play golf and visit all of my loved ones.

First off – Hi! And thanks for Googling me. You will likely first be directed to my LinkedIn profile. Go ahead and click on it – it’s also on my resume. I contemplated not putting a photo on my LinkedIn, but then I thought, heck – why not. You’re probably more likely to remember somebody when you can put a face to their name. I think it kind of looks like I’m arguing a debate in the photo. That, or I’m passionately discussing the merits of inclusive community affordable housing projects, or the influence of social media on product knowledge and awareness. I hope you also notice on it that I am “searching for a fulfilling position in the fields of geriatrics, mental health and/or group and community facilitation”. It’s true!  I’m currently not working. Well, some say searching for a job IS a full-time job. I somewhat agree. Searching for a employment is a full-time job for me because I’m also volunteering part-time.

I’m volunteering to increase my knowledge of the Toronto and Ontario health care and social service systems in order to gain more knowledge to do an even more spectacular job when I am working for your agency. I’m volunteering at a community outreach centre for seniors with addictions, where I am assisting to facilitate life skills courses. If you peruse through some of the details of my previous positions, you will see that I love adult education and group facilitation. Really, I just love people. I love learning from them, teaching them, and of course, helping them (which is probably why I’ve applied for a job with your agency).

I’m very much a people person. I’m also the kind of person who will give their best to their employer, and the respective clients and/or consumers. I will be the first one to volunteer for that new committee – providing I can realistically fit it into my schedule. I engage in ‘corporate culture’ by having a bright smile on my face right from the first day and partaking in events at the office. At my previous position I joined a 10k race with a few colleagues and with persistence, a positive attitude and some serious training I helped my team come in third place! I proudly hung my medal in my office. And you better believe I will bring delicious treats to your potlucks.

I loved my last job. I had some wonderful clients, and some challenging ones. I especially loved it when the aforementioned challenging clients evolved in to the wonderful ones. For example, the 50 year old man who had to make some very tough decisions. Through a collaboration of myself, his counsellor and his psychiatrist, we were able to help him through the decision and make some very positive changes in his life. At my last meeting with him, he cried openly in a coffee shop telling me that nobody has ever cared as much as I did. Another client was shocked that I had only lived in the city for two years. “You’ve connected me with services that my other professionals didn’t even know existed!”, she told me. I take pride in my researching skills – I am a life long learner and consistently seeking out new opportunities to show my clients, colleagues and employers.

So, future employer, I hope that you found this post, and then immediately let go of that computer mouse in order to pick up the phone and call me (my number’s right there at the top of my resume). E-mail works great too – with the help of my Blackberry (can’t be without Twitter for too long, I get shaky) I will get back to you immediately. I hope you’ve learned from this letter that I am friendly, a hard-worker, a dedicated employee and that I am passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of others. I am eager to put these great skills to use at your agency.

Best,

Your future employee of the month.

Since I’m still so fresh in to my job hunt (I hope it never does pass the ‘fresh’ stage), I am very eager about it, and I’m working my butt off on applications. I have discovered a new job hunt tactic that you won’t find on my current favourite website CareeRealism.com. I hope you all know what CareeRealism is, especially if you are on the job hunt. It’s a great (FREE) website that offers incredible advice for developing a kick-ass resume, an irresistible cover letter, tips on how to charm your interviewers, and much, much more. And they are very active on Twitter - but not over-active, like, you won’t want to unfollow them in 3.5 seconds after they blast boring information into the twittersphere. They are consistently providing useful, encouraging information and you can literally spend hours taking notes on the information found on their site.

Back to this new job search tactic. Life is all about figuring out what works for yourself. My tips? Get in an awesome mood before you sit at your computer. Make yourself a deliciously thick coffee, have a shower and do your hair, and get pretty. Play some music to create an atmosphere that appeals to you, and turn the t.v. OFF. Put on some heels, and your favourite top and lip gloss. In my opinion, feeling great will help you to create a cover letter that will sell yourself. If you throw some positive energy into the application, and thus into the atmosphere, it will come back at you tenfold. Yes I am aware that this idea is called ‘karma’ – and, in my humble opinion, it works. So here I sit, in my bright basement apartment, terrified to exit my door thanks to a giant wasp nest above it, in my favourite shirt, wearing my shiniest heels, and some country music playing, pressing send with a smile.

Ideally, my future employer will be pressing send with a smile when they request an interview to meet my fabulous self.

What worked for you? Do you have an tips for job-hunters that you wouldn’t find in a traditional article or website?