WAYT: Housecleaning

News from the front: I finally got a new job! I've been busy getting started there and putting the past behind me.

Nearly all of 2012, for me, was spent searching for this new job. I'm lucky my new place chose me, and I'm lucky to live here in Bloomington, Illinois, where there are still choices available and I can decide to look for a new job and eventually find success. I know in this country right now, not many people can say that.

Now I'm looking forward to 2013. I feel like it's going to be a banner year for the Arnolts household. My husband will complete his Master's degree. My son will turn 3 years old and WILL be potty trained. The world will keep on spinning, and hopefully, changing for the better. I've set some goals for myself. Hopefully I can relay my progress to my readers through this page. Please stay tuned!

2012 was mostly a calamity. Part of my radio silence for the last little while was prompted by Sandy Hook. I wanted to come on here and rant endlessly about the failure of every legislator in the US to take gun violence seriously. But I was plagued with grief for the tiny babies who were lost. All I could think was, what if one of those babies was their parents ONLY baby? The Sandy Hook tragedy was overwhelming, unnecessary, and unbearably hard to wrap my mind around. Still, every mention of it makes me weepy.

Luckily, the election turned out just as I knew it would. I say luckily for a whole host of reasons, but in this instance, I say it because I'm hopeful that President Obama, more than any other person, can achieve some meaningful change to gun laws that will protect my husband - a teacher - and my son - a baby and future public school student - and myself - a private citizen with everything to lose. I won't even bother to apply my sentiments to Illinois. This state is so backwards, I hold out no hope and see no point in wasting my breath.

In Washington DC, of course, it's business as usual. Which is to say, no one who has been elected to represent us can make tough decisions unless they receive assurances that the big money is still behind them - which isn't the "us" they were chosen to represent. If the fiscal cliff "negotiations" didn't give each person reason to pause and realize each legislator's true measure, I don't know what will. Without doubt, we will face the same last-minute scrambling when the next law with a deadline comes "creeping" up on us.

It makes me sad that this is the state of our union. But there are many other types and forms of unions that are equally important in my life where my voice can be heard. This is my hope for 2013.

WAYT: Call me, maybe!

In life, you are your own advocate.  There’s no one else looking out for you except for you, and when you want something, you alone are responsible for whether or not you achieve your goals. 

I bring this up because I am spending a lot of time these days looking for a new job.  I’m ready to move on to a new challenge, something with greater responsibility, something where I feel… promoted from my current status. 

In “job search mode,” I am constantly defending my supreme employability, which begs the question, what are you thinking if you aren’t calling me for an interview??

When a hiring professional reads my resume, they see the basics: I have a college education, I’ve been steadily employed, I am capable of using strong descriptive words to highlight my past work experiences.  But I believe the reader needs to go a bit farther and think about what each line means.  I didn’t painstakingly choose what I said to dupe you into hiring me!  It’s all critically important and verifiable!

For example, when an HR rep reads that I have a degree from Illinois College, they should Google that.  They should find out what type of college it is and evaluate what that means about me.  If you Googled my alma mater, you’d find out that it’s a liberal arts college.  This means that I had a lot of education on a lot of topics.  You’d also find out that it’s a college with a small student population.  This means that graduating with magna cum laude honors is really something.  (Not as good as summa cum laude, but still, pretty darn good!)

When a hiring professional reads my list of previous employers, they should think about what that says about me.  In my first position out of college, I was the only person who worked in the office.  I was solely responsible for the day-to-day operations and the complete support of my boss, who was a pretty important guy.  In my second position, I was the office manager for a very small business.  My job performance was critical to the continued existence of the company.  In my current position, I support seven staff members out of twenty-four total.  That means that I do a great job at doing a lot. 

Also, I was accepted as an intern into two very competitive internship programs during my college years.  Someone considering me for employment should evaluate the programs that allowed me into their hallowed halls.  I started out strong and I continued on an upwards trajectory.  Furthermore, my work experience began back in my intern years.  At this point, I can boast over seven years of accumulated experience, all with increasing levels of responsibility, all of which helped to educate me on various industries and allowed me to broaden my reach among other professionals. 

Which leads me to my next point: I do not know a single person who could say anything damningly negative about me as a professional.  On the job, I am the most committed and responsible person that I know among my peers.  This is why I maintain a reference page and include it with my applications.  I dare you to call my references!

So, in summary and in the interest of being my own advocate, I have to ask, why am I not employable?  (How many other people like me are out there in the world lamenting the same fate right now?)  I know that I’m capable of doing just about anything and I wouldn’t apply for a job if I didn’t know that I could do it. 

Yes, there are hundreds of people out there looking for work who each believe that they are perfectly perfect in every way.  But at some point, a person needs to be recognized (read: that person is me!!).  At some point, something about me should stand out.  What are you thinking if you don’t call me?! 

Just call me, please.  I’m not too proud to beg!