job hunting

sucks! a very long time ago i couldn't have imagined working at the same place for 26 years. i had a great job in vancouver for 4 1/2 years when i decided to move out to the valley. the 3 months it took me to find a job and the first few months after my daughter was born were pretty well the only time i was ever unemployed.

there's an advantage to working at the same place for a long period of time. seniority, you eventually get first choice of vacation times and you get more of them and you're not always starting at the base pay rate.

the disadvantage is you don't learn too many new things. sure i learned new things within the office where i worked but we had programs specific to us, that most of the business community don't use. granted every business may have programs specific to them but the general business software that most companies use was not the one that we used or that i'm familiar with. that makes it tough when advertised jobs say proficiency required in… and you don’t have it. it tends to limit your prospects somewhat.

someone finally called and asked what rate of pay i wanted and if i would provide a resume. i had no idea what to say for the rate of pay and it's taken 2 weeks to get a reference letter. i wasn't sure if i had priced myself out of a job or not.

i prayed before i took the reference letter in that if this was where God wanted me that He would open the door and if not then i asked Him to close the door. when i took the letter in my previous enthusiasm at being called about the job in the first place was dampened by the darkness of the office.

i like bright natural light. previously i had my own office with large windows on the south side of the building. to walk into this office with only dim artificial lighting was so depressing. i left hoping they wouldn't call me.

i have searched different websites that offer tips on job hunting. one says not to indicate your age. on my first resume i listed my last 2 jobs. 30 1/2 years of working tells a story - i'm no spring chicken. so i deleted my last job. and that makes me sound 4 1/2 years younger than an old hen. ouch!