Death of a Fish

Today, my beta fish of six months, Wilbur, died a tragic death due to soap residue in his fish bowl... that's right - it was my fault. We didn't always have the best relationship, but I promise I didn't kill him on purpose. He was quite delightful in the end, and I felt horrible for his death. So, I dedicate this post to him.

The most important thing while job searching, interviewing, and pursuing your career are relationships. Many people will be able to relate to your situation, many will not, and some will just be down right irritating. Always keep in mind that most people are looking out for your best interest. My secret weapon was gratitude. No matter how irritating the billions of suggestions people send your way are just say thank you.

Whenever I was job searching I always had a handful of people sending me emails with a link to a company or a job search site and every time my knee jerk reactions went something like, "REALLY? Thank you soooo much for sending me this link because I was just looking at my computer screen doing nothing and wallowing in self pity when magically you sent me this link that will lead to the land of opportunities - NOT!"

Sounds harsh and it is. Luckily, none of my well-intentioned friends and family felt the wrath of my sarcasm. I always tried to respond humbly and with a sense of gratitude. If all else in this world failed I would have an awesome support system to fall back on. Get your support system in place when you start applying. Call your friends, family, and even acquaintances and let them know you are unemployed. Even if they can't connect you to the fairy HR godmother or your dream job, at least you know you have someone to call when all else fails.

Thank you parents, siblings, aunts & uncles, cousins, and friends. Without you, my job search would have been painful and slow. Instead, I enjoyed 5 weeks of encouragement, support, and love followed by a lifetime of the same. God will give you the tools you need to follow his will - just call on him.

R.I.P. Wilbur
Beloved Pet & Friend