City of Raleigh
Last week and this week I had a few interviews to prepare for, so I was MIA. I was excited about having the opportunity to interview and felt that the interviews went well. Even though one position would mean a 35-45 minute commute, I was excited and the position sounded very interesting. The people I met with were very nice and they mention the diversity of the team. Not only was I happy about the possibility of working, but I was looking forward to learning new skills and learning about an area of companies not many people are familiar with, Human Resources. Another position was in Recruiting, but this position was less than 2 miles from home. As you can imagine, I was excited about the short commute. Ah, the peace of mind that would be, and being used to working in a therapeutic area, its exciting to learn about a different area of a company.
Unfortunately, I was informed today I was not selected for the jobs. I have been feeling down about how difficult it has been to find employment. I know the best thing I can do is continue applying for positions, and if I am lucky to be selected for an interview, do my best. I don’t think I do well during interviews, and a career coach told me that, “interviewing is an acquired skill.” While I know that is true, it is still frustrating to genuinely do your best, and yet your best is not quite cutting it. I believe in continuous improvement, but at this point I am not sure how to further improve my interviewing skills.
I keep hearing that due to lack of experience I was not selected. I am not sure what exactly that means. I have over 10 years’ experience as an Administrative Assistant. It is a shame companies are not able (or willing) to be specific; it would be so helpful for candidates to do so. Just like when one’s position is made redundant.
So today, I sit here wondering where I could find a job. At this point, I’m thinking of working on a cover letter noting that I am willing to relocate at my own expense. I am disheartened, trying to figure out what else I can do and trying not to think that I am not good enough. It’s difficult, however, to have a (very) positive outlook. I am not a pessimist, it takes so much energy to be that negative, but I am just SO disappointed and it’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Where are they?!
Fortunately, there are a couple of positions I applied for, and I am waiting to hear back (not to mention all the ones I applied for today!). Both in the same company, and they are local to the city of Raleigh. When I commuted to RTP, it took a minimum of 35 minutes, one-way, and with bad traffic it could take between 45-60 minutes, so 1.5-2 hours. While 35 min. is not too bad of a commute -it certainly could be worse- it adds up and takes a toll in one’s health, in our pockets due to the increasing costs of gasoline, and on the car’s wear and tear. Finding employment closer to home would be great. I’ll post an update when I have more to share.
~ Lili