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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cutting Back

Hello There My Little Bunnies,

So, first of all I want to tell you all that I am thankful for all of you as my readers. I have been blogging since December of 2003. For the first five years, I was lucky if I ever had more than three comments. Just look through my archives. But I didn't care.  I wrote for me, and eventually when AOL shut down the blogs, and I moved to Blogger, I ended up getting more readers.

I don't write for anyone, and I write whatever I feel comes to mind. And I want to thank those of you that read my blog and those of you that leave comments or even lurk.

I am used to writing almost every day, but I just got hired, and I started my new job yesterday. I have been swamped lately and I just don't think I am going to be able to write as often as I would like.

I work in a law firm as a patent clerk, finally something in my field. I know that the economy sucks ass right now, but even though, none of this was through luck. I did not get lucky with this job. I didn't have any connections, I didn't know anyone that could help me, they found my resume and contacted me.  I can fully say that I earned it and that I am the best person for the job and I had wonderful references through my past internships. I've had luck before in life. Great things have happened to me that I didn't really earn. But this, I busted my ass for.

I have faced rejection non-stop for the past two and a half years. When I first started out, before I even went back to school, recruiters were rude to me and I could barely get people to talk to me or even give me advice on how to get into the field. I had to go back to school even though I had a bachelors. Luckily after I got my paralegal certificate last year, people started calling me and I did get a lot of interviews. At one point I had four interviews in one week, only to get rejected four times in a row. But at least it was nice rejection. I did well in most of the interviews and would make it to the second round, they usually just went with the other candidate. And I can say this because I've gotten compliments from the interviewing attorneys or the admins.

None of this came easy, and I had to work for free for two years by volunteering while I went to school and worked. I really enjoyed volunteering, and it was through that, that I gained the confidence to do well in interviews. And I gave back to the community. But even though I volunteered and had good grades, no one was giving me a chance.

Finally someone finally said yes.

Anyway, so my advice to anyone that is looking for a new job is to not get discouraged. I did get discouraged along the way and I would stop looking altogether. That is the worst thing you could do. It just brings you down further mentally and then on top of that, no one is calling because you didn't put out your information.

My biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid of rejection. You have to be okay with getting rejected and learn to move on. In fact, you need to just know that there is a job out there somewhere for you and you just have to find it. Because once I started thinking like that, things turned around. You have to think that tomorrow is another day and that anything could happen. Because it really can. And what have you done to prepare for that ? Once I started putting my information out there more and more, maybe things didn't happen, but I did get calls. Getting an interview even if it doesn't work out is better than no response at all.

If you are thinking my advice can suck it, and you've tried positive thinking and it blew up in your face because maybe you're unemployed and are tired of rejection after rejection, then I can understand that too. (It took me two and a half years to find an entry-level job in my field, a job that in a good economy would just require a high school education.) What I would then ask you is 1.) Do you like your line of work ?
 2.) Do you truly think you're qualified for the job you're applying for?
 Because if you can't stand your line of work, or if you are underqualified, then yes, positive thinking isn't enough. You will then need to change your line of work or invest some time in bettering yourself. And you have to invest that time. I knew that I would have to put in a solid couple of years in school and make a lot of sacrifices, but I got over it and did it, and it was totally worth it. And if you can't do that, then you're just going to have to have thick skin and not be afraid of rejection.

Okay, enough of me preaching.

I will still be posting and making my rounds on your blogs and leaving comments because you are all comment whores. Just not as often. I know that I may lose some readers, but I hope not.

Ciao for now, loves !

Besitos !

30 comments:

Bev said...

Congrats on your new job! How exciting!

Please don't be a stranger!!

LYN said...

CONGRATS ON THE NEW JOB!
LOVE THE CLOSE UP PIC OF YOU..YOU ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL..

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Senorita. Am glad you didn't give up as i did & ended up as a housewife! hehehehehehehe. Take care &i certainly hope to hear from you as often as you can ehn?

MindyMom said...

Congrats on the new job! And I'll be here when you are. :)

Diva's Thoughts said...

Congrats girly. This is great news and I am really happy for you.

mac said...

I'm hapy for you!

I get what you're saying, too. I've found, when we don't work, our self-image suffers greatly.

I don't tie my identity into my job. I am not what I do for a living. But, that is a part of me, for sure.
Since 1988, I have never been, for more than a week, without a job. I worked the same job for 12 years & would more than likely still be there had I not moved. My strategy is to make myself an integral part of whatever organization I am with, showing them that they do, indeed, need me. I figure they'll keep me as long as possible that way :-)


And, you will not lose this reader. I'm sure of that...unless, you get a restraing order or something ;-)

mac said...

BTW,
Does this mean you are no longer a security wench?

I had so hoped to see you in a uniform.
And the handcuffs,
Oh, never mind ;-)

JStar said...

CONGRATS!!!!

The Girl With The Mousy Hair said...

Well done you. Nothing tastes as sweet as that you have truely earnt.
Sometimes it's hard to keep on trying but I agree with you eventually it will go your way. I am glad we will still see you here even if it is not as often.

Danielle said...

Congrats on the job. That is awesome. Hope you don't go away for too long!

Anonymous said...

I feel good for you that things finally worked out. YOU EARNED IT!
All the best.

Secretia

Red Shoes said...

Your advice about not being afraid of rejection applies to EVERYTHING in Life, Dear... be it jobs or Love...

Reading about your hardships with finding a position just pains me... one of my responsibilities, I FEEL, is to help my students secure interviews when they graduate...

I may even cut and paste part of what you have written and share it with my seniors... This is all wonderful advice from someone who has endured the job market.

~shoes~

Red Shoes said...

Addendum: You are also right in that you just can NOT quit! I tell my students that the only way one truly loses is when he/she gives up...

You have such a wonderfully positive attitude!!! You ROCK!!!

~shoes~

Juliana said...

I am so happy for you!!!!!

Ileana said...

It's not easy getting a paralegal job ANYWHERE these days but you got the right attitude and YOU GOT THE JOB!! Woo-hoo!! I'm happy for you!

Fireblossom said...

I am so happy for you, that you got this job! Go, Senorita!

I'll come by and read when you do post.

I have had the same job since ladies wore bustles. My application was made on parchment and presented to pharoah. They gave me a golden coconut and said, baby, you're in. I'm old!

dadshouse said...

That's awesome! Congrats. And I love the advice you give. This economy sucks, and sometimes you have to work a little hard to get what would have come easier in different times. Thanks for the reminder.

KrippledWarrior said...

We were doing so well. Then you had to call me a whore.
Why do I have to be a whore? Can't I just be a slut?

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your new job, dear heart! I'm so proud of you. Your perseverance is amazing. And, your advice is much-needed in these times. I hope people follow your example.

Anonymous said...

Awesome blossom. Way to go! So glad you got a job in the field you've been aiming for. =)

Jimmy's Journal said...

Good luck with your new job, babe! You won't lose any readers, that's for sure!

Jimmy

Candice said...

Congratulations on the new job! You defintiely deserve it.

mac said...

Hey, I just thought I'd pop in to say "Hi". Hi :-)

Deine Mutter said...

Whow, congratulations! This is wonderful news! I am very very happy for you and wish you all the best! May this be a great new jumping board for your new career!

Love,
Deine Mutter

PorkStar said...

Im so happy for you dear... like i told you a couple of times, things will start falling into their rightful place with you.

MUAH

x said...

Yea Senorita! I am so happy for you. You are such a bright ray of sunshine. All my best, your little bunny wabbit -Pippi

Unknown said...

Congratulations Senora!! I TOTALLY understand about having to cut back, and will still love anything you write when you can.

Oh... and I still think you're "prolific". As you'll see in one of my posts later tonight..

Zsuzsi said...

Well done, Señorita, and thank you for the inspirational post!

jessica o said...

Congratulations! I hear ya on all of it. It took me a year after finding work in my field (which didn't come easily) to have blog time again. Good luck!

Paul Nichols said...

Many, many congratulations!! You could write a great book: Job Hunting for Dummies. Excellent advice for the rest of us. Well done.

And I'll keep checking here to see how it's going.