The Crud

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Cough syrup

Achoo! Sniff…sniff. Sigh.  I’ve got the crud.

Actually both Hubby and I do.  He brought it home, thanks to his business traveling and, being the generous person he is, decided to share it with me.  Gotta love this guy.

The good news is that neither of us has contracted the flu.  The bad news is that we feel poorly enough to not want to do anything.

It’s never a good thing when both of us are sick at home.  I mean, come on! Who’s going to take care of whom?

First, there’s the battle of the couch vs. the love seat.  The love seat has the ottoman for stretching out; however the couch has the better angle for TV viewing.  Hubby really likes the viewing angle and after some discussion we decide that he will get the couch. Due to a technicality, he also must assume responsibility for letting the dog in and out.  Hubby: 1, Me: 0, Crud: 2

Then there’s the debate over control of the TV remote.  Hubby likes to channel surf constantly, never stopping for long on any one show.  This is fine with me – WHEN I’M ASLEEP.  I prefer to stop on a channel and at least watch one show or a movie.  I’m already light-headed from the crud; I don’t need to be dizzy from channel surfing.  Since Hubby won the battle of the couch, I take control of the remote.  Score: Hubby: 1, Me: 1, Crud: 4

Then there’s the issue of meals.  First, determining what to eat is a challenge. Thank goodness I hit the grocery store before the crud knocked me off my feet.  But the real question is who’s going to get out from under their respective blanket to cook something?

“What do you want?” “I don’t know; what do you want?”  “Do you want me to get up, or do you want to do it?”  The passive-aggressive battle for food goes on for an hour while we watch the 1980’s classic, “Stripes” for the third time in a row.  The network must have forgotten to schedule something else.

By the time we have the movie memorized we’re famished, so I head into the kitchen with Hubby agreeing to clean up.  Score: Hubby: 2, Me: 1, Crud: 6

Just as the soup is ready, the dog decides that, as long as we’re not doing anything, we might as well let her in and out every few minutes.  Hubby’s got this duty.  Score: Hubby: 2, Me: 2, Crud: 8

All afternoon the debates rage.  Small battles take place, like who gets to use the heating pad, who should replenish the tissues and who should get the drink refills. We get crankier as the crud takes control, making us feel just lousy enough to be uncomfortable and a bit achy.  Guess we should be happy that we are not feverish. 

And that brings me to the debate over the thermostat.  The air-duct placement is not good for being sick, especially on the love seat since the heat is directed down onto me.  Hot, then cold, and back to hot – yet Hubby is at a constant temperature.  Thank goodness we each have our own throw blankets. Score: No points awarded here.

Finally, the day is over!  Time to drag ourselves to bed, with our blankets and Kleenex in hand.  The dog is hesitant to join us, preferring to stay out of the debate zone for the night.  She knows that it’s only going to get worse as we fiddle with the thermostat and fight over the lozenges.

Crud, you win.  Please leave before the morning. We’re begging you.

Five Truths About Unemployment That Everyone Should Know

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computer job pic

The job market is getting a lot of attention again these days.  The unemployment rate is either up or down, depending on the day of the week it seems.  There are still layoffs – Macy’s just announced one.  Another report I read stated that companies, fearful of the economy, may be slow to hire despite the fact that business has picked up.

We hear all about the business side of unemployment, yet almost nothing about the less tangible effects.  Although these sometimes are more powerful than anything else, because they affect us on a personal level.  Yes, there is more to unemployment that losing a job.

Here are five truths about unemployment that everyone should know:

It’s boring.  That’s right; being unemployed is boring. I know you’re shocked to hear this, huh?  After all, who hasn’t stated at one point or another that being laid off would allow time to do all sorts of great things, from cleaning out the closets, to spending time at the gym, to writing the great American novel.

Truth be told, without the pressure of deadlines looming, we tend to procrastinate even more than we did when we were busy at work.  Besides, we didn’t really want to clean, or spend time at the gym.  And it turns out that for most people, writing the great American novel sounds like fun but after the first paragraph it’s a bit dull.

Shopping is out of the question as we try to conserve resources. With boredom setting in, we allow the TV and couch to draw us into their cocoon as we curl up to watch endless hours of Honey Boo-Boo.

It’s Socially Challenging. In more ways than one, I might add. First, we lose our identity when we lose our job.  I’ve talked about this before – we all say we’re not defined by our jobs, but just wait till that first encounter with a friend or former colleague who asks, “So where are you/what are you doing now?”

Take my advice: Develop your answer and practice saying it out loud before you leave the house, so it rolls off the tongue instead of causing you to mumble something like, “Uh, I, um..well, I used to… I mean…I…now I, uh, play computer solitaire.”

Our social network is suddenly diminished without our jobs.  The loss of daily interaction with others – even if they are only FAW’s (Friends at Work) – can be stifling.  Our friends aren’t available for us; they are busy working or raising a family or have other obligations.

Desperate for contact, we find ourselves reaching out to anyone who will listen, striking up conversations with random strangers in the grocery store and at the gym.  For me, the dog has become a source of companionship although I think she’s giving me a hint to stop talking when she wanders off to her crate while I’m in the middle of a story.

It’s Emotional.  This one is a bit surprising in that it’s not just one emotion but a series of emotions that happen over time. We try to put up a brave front with friends, telling them we are fine, we’ve got several “irons in the fire” and are “looking into some opportunities”, because we are never sure exactly which emotion is in control at that moment.

Similar to other life events, a job loss can trigger a flood of feelings including anger, embarrassment, sadness, bitterness, happiness, self pity, loss of confidence, and fear.   The emotions come in waves, and you have to ride each wave all the way.  True happiness eventually comes, although it takes some time.

Warning: Don’t be fooled by immediate feelings of happiness due to new-found free time. Happiness is fickle and will make you feel giddy one minute, then crash down around you the next.  Heaven forbid you are hormonal at the same time.

It’s Work.  And you thought your job was full of pressure?  Try full-time job searching and networking, not to mention keeping track of who you’ve spoken with and which companies you’ve applied to.  If you’re like me and add consulting or part time work to your schedule, it’s really busy!  The calendar of coffee dates alone is enough to drive you nuts. Of course that might just be the caffeine talking.  I’ve found it best to stick to decaf.

It’s Filled with Uncertainty.  Financial uncertainty for sure – duh, that should go without saying.  Then there’s the bigger question of “When will I find another job?” Because that, of course, plays into the financial uncertainty.

This is followed closely by a series of questions designed to keep you awake at night with your stomach in knots.   “What kind of job?” “At what point should I just take any job?” “How low do I have to go when it comes to salary?”  “Will I have to move to another city?”  Sometimes this uncertainty takes a nap during daylight, only to return when you are ready to sleep. It’s a vicious cycle.

One thing is certain: a job loss is life-changing.  Hopefully it changes you for the better. Just remember that there’s more to unemployment that losing a job.

Unemployment Déjà Vu

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cool seat

Ever experience déjà vu?  That funny, strange sensation that you’ve been in exactly the same situation before?

It’s completely unsettling and it messes with your mind.  I’m experiencing déjà vu right now – either that or those holiday brownies someone sent us are a bit off.  I’m sitting in my home office, a cold wind blowing outside, computer fired up and once again I find myself in a job search situation.

Hello, unemployment, my old friend!  I’ve come to visit you again.  Wait, that sounds like an old Simon and Garfunkel song.  

True, I’ve been to the Land of Layoff before, but this time something feels different. More relaxed, maybe?  Less stressful?  I hope I’m not settling into indifference or defeat.

No, it’s more of a confidence, which seems like an odd feeling to have when one is looking for a job.

I guess there’s some comfort – if that’s a good word here – in having done this before.  I’ve got experience and I know what steps to take, unlike before, when I put on a brave face but was a bit all-over-the-board when it came to knowing what to do.

Having a sense of calm is a good thing when it comes to a job search.  I’m finding that it allows me to think more clearly, outlining my job search strategy and work the plan, rather than throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if anything sticks.

My confidence is higher this time around – I know that not only will I find another opportunity, but it will be a great opportunity.  And if it takes some time?  I know that I will find small jobs to fill in the gaps.

Most important is that I’m not panicking.  This is a bit like revisiting a favorite vacation destination, the place you go to year after year and know so well.  I should be good at this, since Hubby and I visit the same place each summer.  Friends wonder why we do this, and we can sum it up in one word: experience.

With experience visiting the same place, we know what to expect.  We know what to pack and what to leave at home; we know exactly what to do when we get there, where to eat, what to see and how to manage our time to get the maximum return on our vacation.

While I hope my visit to the Land of Layoff is a short one, at least this time I know my way around. I’ve got my strategy down and am working the plan; there’s no room for panic. This is simply another stop in my career journey.

I’m optimistic, and the rest of you visiting the Land of Layoff should be too. Get your plan in place and start working or re-work the plan you have, if necessary.  I’ll be right there with you.

2014 is going to be a great year!

Simplify: My Word For 2014

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Desk stack

Happy New Year!  I don’t know about you, but I am so ready to greet 2014 and to kick 2013 to the curb.  2013 wasn’t the worst year, but it certainly was challenging and I’m ready to move on.

How ready am I to move on?  So ready that I’m trying to purge anything that’s unwanted, unused and unnecessary.  In fact, I was just telling Hubby that my word for 2014 is “simplify”.  It seems like I have let things take control of my space and therefore me, and it’s time to regain control.

Nowhere is the need to simplify more apparent than in the home office, specifically my desk area.  While I desperately want to make things easier for myself, the decorating scheme for my desk can best be described as “professionally cluttered”.

Seriously, if you could see my desk and office right now, it’s awful.  Stacks of notes with ideas for new writing posts, all sorts of “to-dos”, half-started projects and papers stacked a foot high, things strewn across the floor, etc.  I’m thinking I might just purge everything and start over.

Honestly, if I haven’t looked at it in months – okay, at least a year – why am I hanging on to it?  Sentimentality?  Come on, it’s just paper!

Since I don’t make New Year’s resolutions (I tend to break them before I get started), perhaps applying the word simplify to everything I do will help.

Just simplify, I tell myself.

Good news is that every year around this time I get energized to do all sorts of organization projects. This “end-of-year/beginning-of-year organizing” spurt has already started and I’m ready to kick some serious butt in the home office in order to simplify my life.

Not sure if it’s due to the cold weather that forces me inside, or if it’s my way of trying to start the New Year off on a positive note.  Whatever it is, I have to take advantage of the energy while it’s here because all of a sudden it will turn off, just like a spigot, and the projects will languish until the following January.

All of this energy scares Hubby – he sees dollar signs; I see an organized sanctuary.  But I need his presence while I organize and simplify my desk; someone for me to lean on in case I get weak and try to save the stack of stuff instead of throwing it away.

Hubby agrees and also decides to adopt the mantra “simplify” for 2014.  Grabbing two containers for recycling and trash, we dig in.  We also set a timer that keeps ticking, so we know we are on the clock – no time for dilly-dallying.

Our work is like an archeological dig. “Just found our tax stuff from two years ago”, says Hubby.  Well that’s a keeper.  “Why do I have a Starbucks receipt from last year?” I ask.  Rapid fire, we sort through the stacks of papers, making great progress.

Then we come to the big stack on my desk.  The notes.  The ones I’d been saving; my inspiration for future writing.  All the witty ideas I was going to use at some point but so far had never touched.  My hands were on the stack, but I was frozen in place.

“Come on,” coaxed Hubby.  “You can do it, just like you said you wanted to – simplify things and throw it all away”.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek.  “What if I need something here? What if I have writer’s block and I need an idea?” I whispered.

“You’ll have plenty of ideas; you always do”, says Hubby.  “Remember the goal is to simplify. Be like Nike and Just Do It”.

While Hubby held the trash bag, I let out a little scream while I dumped the stack of paper.  My notes. And anything else that happened to be in the stack.

With that out of the way, we continued straightening and within a couple of hours the office and both of our desks looked better than they had in years.  We can actually see the tops of the desks.  It’s a Christmas miracle! 

Simplify – I already feel better, and just sitting at a clean desk makes me feel more productive.

I want to simplify my job search as well.  Sometimes it’s easy to complicate the process by failing to have a strategy and losing focus, making it more difficult that it should be. I’ve already started a written to-do list – in one notebook, not on hundreds of sticky notes – and I start my day by looking at the list.  I’ll admit that this attempt at hyper-organization will be challenging, but I’m trying to make it work.  Organization, while arguably not my strong suit, is the key to simplification.

Hello, 2014!  I think this is going to be my year.

Adventures In The Discomfort Zone

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Tami ebook cover Flat 12-14-13

It’s hard for most of us to leave our comfort zones – even if we’re the ones who initiate the change. Changing jobs or careers–either due to layoff or on our own–forces us to be uncomfortable. Yes, it’s painful and sometimes unpleasant. The good news is, it’s only temporary, and if we press through the “Discomfort Zone”, we will usually come out just fine on the other side.

I first touched on this theme in my debut book, Tales of the Terminated: A Humorous Look at Life After a Layoff. Since then, I wanted to talk in more depth about the discomfort and challenges of career relaunch and life changes. That’s why I put together a new ebook, available exclusively on Amazon.com entitled Adventures in the Discomfort Zone: Tales from One Woman’s Career Relaunch Experience.

In this ebook, I chronicle my experiences, observations and humor about career relaunch, my brush with life-threatening illness, mean ol’ mothers-in-law and even monogamous interviewing.

As my gift to you this holiday season, for a limited time this book is FREE on Amazon.com! Even if you don’t have a Kindle; you can get the free Kindle Reading app from Amazon and read it on virtually any device!

Merry Christmas, friends.  And join me for new adventures, a few tears, and more than a few laughs in the Discomfort Zone!

Merry Christmas!

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ugly sweaters

It’s Christmas Day, and for us that means a quick visit with my sister’s family.  We love flying on the holiday; the airport is full of travelers and people seem so happy. We laugh at those who neglected their holiday shopping until this very moment and are now frantically searching the airport shops for gifts. I’m pretty sure a People magazine and a tin of breath mints will be a “memorable” gift, although not in a good way.

Sometimes Hubby and I have been known to wear Santa hats or other holiday gear for this trip.  Not so much to show our holiday spirit, but more to embarrass our niece and nephews when they pick us up at the airport.  As young adults they are still concerned with being “cool” or “awesome” or whatever you call it now.

We, on the other hand, feel so uber-cool that we can do anything without ruining our hard-won reputations. This year, we’ve taken holiday embarrassment to an entirely new level, with matching ugly Christmas sweaters.

We can’t wait to see their faces when they pick us up!

If I may be serious for a moment: Thank you for your support throughout the year!  I write because I enjoy it, yet it’s your comments, tweets and “likes” that push me to do more.  Today and every day, I wish you joy, happiness, laughter and peace.

WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Holiday Temptations

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peppermints

Growing up, we had a strict Rule when it came to sweets in our house: they were only allowed on Sundays.  That’s right; no candy, gum, cookies, cake or dessert of any kind except on Sunday.  Special occasions such as birthdays and holidays were exempt from the Rule; Sis and I lived for these days.

While the Rule was harsh, our parents had taken the dentists’ recommendation to heart that sugary sweets were a “no-no” and the Rule was meant to “save” our teeth from cavities. By limiting temptation, they reasoned, we would forever refrain from candy and other bad foods and end up with pristine, perfect teeth.

Ha! One look inside my mouth and you’ll be blinded by the amount of silver fillings, so that plan didn’t really work out well.

Although my parents tried; really they did.  When I was three, mom dressed me for Halloween yet neglected to tell me about Trick-or-Treating.  Instead, she had me pass out the treats when other kids came to the door, for fear I would be tempted to eat candy if I had been allowed to experience Trick-or-Treating myself.

As we got older, Sis and I looked forward to Sundays as if Christmas came each week.  That was the day we could take some of our allowance and buy candy to eat for the day.  It was so fun to pick out what we wanted, rationing it throughout the day to make it last.  We’d savor every bite as if we would never have a treat again.

The good news is while I do appreciate a good cookie, ice cream and other treats, I can literally ignore sweets unless I really want something.  Unlike Hubby, who hears treats calling his name in the middle of the night from the pantry.  He makes fun of me and my ice-cream eating record:  one time I got 19 servings out of a pint of ice-cream.

I know you’re thinking I must be the Queen of Resisting Holiday Temptations, huh?

Nope.  There’s something about the holiday season that sends all of my willpower right out the door.

For some reason I feel like it’s okay to succumb to temptation during the holidays, and all sorts of strange reasoning comes into play. I crave the Peppermint Mocha coffee at Starbucks; these are okay to drink because I need to stay warm during the cold weather.  Tins of holiday popcorn and cookies have a magnetic pull; popcorn is actually “corn” and those cookies are so small the calories don’t really count.   And don’t get me started on the assortment of dips that seem to appear at the office; I’m sure these are nutritious because we use carrots for dipping.

Shopping is another temptation.  While I always enjoy the sport of shopping, usually I can spend time in the stores without spending, simply enjoying the activity of looking.  But not during the holidays.  There must be subliminal messaging in the Christmas music that’s piped into every store.  As I’m shopping for gifts, the sales compel me to adopt a “One for them, one for me” mentality.  The “spirit of giving” takes over and I decide to give to myself as well as others.  Strange reasoning comes into play here too: the prices are too good to pass up and I convince myself I’m buying things I need anyway.

A huge temptation for me during the holidays is to slack-off.  The closer we get to Christmas and New Year’s, the less I feel like working.  This could be a leftover imprint from my younger years when we all had a nice break from school.  Those kind of things are hard to forget, you know.

Or since we take vacation once a year in the early summer, could it be that my mind is just ready for another break?  No, it’s got to be something more sinister than that; it’s that holiday music and spiked popcorn, I tell you!

For those in the job market, there’s an even bigger temptation: to stop looking for a job.  On the one hand, it seems like a good idea as we rationalize “Hiring managers are on vacation” and “Companies will be more serious about hiring at the first of the year”.

From what I’ve seen this year I think we are fooling ourselves and succumbing to holiday temptation.

First, there appears to be more job listings – great news for anyone who is looking for an opportunity.  Second, my guess is that companies want to interview now in order to be ready with new hires at the beginning of the year.  We at least need to submit our application so the company knows we are interested.  Besides, if others are tempted to stop looking, then we stand a better chance of getting noticed.

It’s easy to give-in to temptation and stop searching for a job as we get closer to the holidays.  I get it; really I do.  Yet try to stay with it until Santa takes off from the North Pole.  It will be a happier holiday and a brighter New Year if you do.

 

Iceapocalypse ’13: Things To Have In An Ice Storm

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Ice 2

Hello from the frozen tundra formerly known as Texas!  It’s been difficult to focus on anything for the past week except “Iceapocalypse 2013” or “Iceageddon”, as many are calling it.   With local news teams reminding us 24/7 that everything is covered in ice (duh; take one look outside) I haven’t felt much like writing about careers.

Not to mention that we have been freezing inside the house, despite the new thermal windows installed last year.  I guess my idea of “thermal” is different than what was stated in the sales brochure.

Hubby and I found we were not prepared for this weather, or at least as prepared as we should have been.  So I thought I’d share a few things we need to have for the next Iceapocalypse, in case you want to take notes for your own global-warming/cooling event:

An exit plan – This includes shovels that are bigger than a garden hoe, so you can chop a path through the ice for you and/or your car.  Do you know how long it takes to chop ice with a spade?  We do!  And trust us, it’s an aerobic activity you don’t want to do.

A working fireplace – Used to have one of these.  During the last remodel we decided to upgrade the existing gas fireplace, then changed our mind and spent the money on something else.  Problem with that plan is that we removed the faux logs and other parts needed to have a working fireplace, thinking that we would fix it eventually.  So it’s still unusable. That’s a call we’ve got to make this week.

Food – This is important, so listen up!  You must have food that can be eaten without being cooked – lots of bread, cereal, milk, salad fixings, etc. would be great to have on hand.  Especially if the power goes out, and you have no gas fireplace to even try to heat something.

Flashlights – Oh we had flashlights; it’s just that the batteries were dead. In all 12 flashlights.  Thank goodness for the flashlight app on our iPhones.

Sense of humor – Remember to keep this close at hand. After being stuck in the house with no outside contact for a few days, maintaining a sense of humor is huge.

DVD’s, books, board games – Anything is better than the 24-hour coverage from a first year newscaster stating the obvious, “the weather is bad” while standing on a frozen bridge dodging siding cars.

List of “rainy day” projects – Being stuck inside is a great time to tackle any project on this list.  That is, if you can pry yourself off the couch.  Why is it that the couch seems so much more comfortable when the weather is bad?  In our defense, we made use of our time by setting up TV trays and addressing our Christmas cards – while we sat on the couch.

Stuff that you don’t think you’ll need – This includes sand, kitty litter or rock salt to help with the exit plan; possibly a generator if you live in an area prone to power outages; an assortment of winter clothing that you’ll barely wear otherwise.  I’m thinking golf shoes with metal cleats or something similar would have helped here.  My Ugg’s are fashionable and warm but without traction I still found myself on the ground as soon as I stepped onto the frozen front yard.

Chocolate – Duh. This is a no-brainer, and probably the most important item on the list. Not only is it a food item, if it melts it can be a drink and it doubles as a stress-reliever.

I hope you find this list helpful.  I’m printing it and mounting it in a frame to hang on the wall with a little red hammer.  The small sign will say, “In case of ice, break glass”.

Goodbye, Blockbuster!

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photo

There are times when the sun, moon and stars all align in perfect combination, a time when things go just right.  It could be a chance meeting with that special someone; the day on the golf course with the unbelievable hole-in-one; the too-good-to-be-true designer handbag bargain that makes you the envy of friends.

It’s kind of like having the much sought-after “it” factor on American Idol.  There’s really no preparation for this, and when someone asks about it you can’t explain it.

A few of us are fortunate enough to experience such celestial alignment during our career, and I count myself lucky to be one of those people.

As with most things, I didn’t realize how great it was until it was over.  I accepted the job because it was a good opportunity with a major brand.  We were a tight-knit group despite being a large corporation.  Lots of smart people who liked to have fun at work too.  Didn’t matter that we worked long hours; we enjoyed our jobs and working together.  It was awesome.

I’ve moved on to other things now and haven’t worked at the company in a few years, yet it’s hitting me hard to see the “Store Closing” signs on one of the few remaining locations.  I went inside for one last walk down memory lane.

A mix of emotions came flooding over me.  While the décor had a garage-sale vibe, in my mind I pictured walking through a beautifully decorated store with the executive team as we discussed our ideas for a new promotion.  I remembered that every Tuesday was exciting because new movies arrived.  Real excitement came with the midnight release parties when people would line up for hours to be the first to purchase a new movie or game.

Or when a star would come to the corporate office and we could have pictures taken.  I remember one such star arrived with a dog. The dog decided to explore the office on his own and wound up at my desk.  A bit smelly and slobbery, but it was a nice distraction.

Friends and industry leaders laughed at the company and our desire to work there.  The movie industry that we supported even poked fun – who can forget the film “Be Kind, Rewind”? Sometimes it was tough to hold our heads up, but we did.  They didn’t understand the “it” factor we all knew about.  

It was an unusual business in many ways.  When bad news or bad weather came, our business boomed.  Amazing that people who were unable to drive to work due to all kinds of weather could somehow make it to our stores for movies and popcorn.

I know what you’re thinking.  Who cares? It was just a job with an outdated business model.  Besides, everything is digital nowadays.

Things may be digital – which, by the way, the company offered – yet so much of the experience can’t be replicated through digital means.  And as a work place, we were family.

Was this the only good place to work?  Of course not! There are other great companies out there with awesome teams and cultures.  I just hope wherever you are, that you’ll take a moment to look around and be thankful for whatever it is your current company offers as an “it” factor.

Goodbye, Blockbuster!  Sad to see you go, old friend.

Waiting For The Perfect Job

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cool seat

We just returned from a week on the island of Oahu.  Hubby had a business trip and timing was perfect for me to take vacation.  Hawaii was everything I imagined it would be: sunshine, beautiful beaches, warm temperatures and scenery that could take your breath away.  And it was great to escape the early blast of cold, rainy weather at home. 

There’s an area along the north shore of Oahu called the Banzai Pipeline.  It’s where the biggest waves are; perfect for hard-core professional surfers.  So Hubby and I decided to check it out.

Timing is everything, and we were lucky. Waves were in the medium to high range by island standards.  The water was comfortable and the sun was shining.  There were a lot of surfers waiting to catch the big one. We had to fight for positioning, it was so crowded.

OK, so we were fighting for a position on the beach to watch the pros.  I hate to disappoint, but Hubby and I are professional surfboard watchers, not competitors.  Truth be told, we hate getting sand in our suits and the salt water burns our eyes, not to mention we are both afraid of sharks.  But if looking cool while watching from the comfort of a beach chair was part of the competition, then we would have national ranking.

We were mesmerized by the patience of the surfers.  Once out in the water, they all sat in a line on their boards, watching the water toward the horizon.  So much time passed I thought they were looking for Captain Jack Sparrow, or perhaps they had simply forgotten why they were there.

Every once in a while some – not all – of the surfers would turn their boards toward shore and start to paddle as a wave magically appeared just behind them.   A few of these would actually ride the wave in while the rest let it pass.   Apparently there’s some sort of pecking order when it comes to who gets to ride the wave, since not everyone rode at the same time.

And most simply sat; scanning the horizon and waiting.

Hubby and I wondered why the surfers weren’t taking the opportunity to ride the mediocre to good waves as they came.  It appeared they were waiting for the “perfect” wave; the one that would take them into the record books; the one they would talk about long after their surfing days were over.

That logic seemed flawed to us.  Shouldn’t they have tried to ride the waves that were coming, to get experience so they were ready for the “big one”?  Some of the surfers spent more time waiting than actually riding, which means they weren’t really surfing.  They were sitting, just like me and Hubby.

This “surfer logic” is similar to what I’ve seen when it comes to job searches.  Many of us are like surfers, waiting for the perfect job to come along before submitting our resume.  And this line of thinking is flawed.

First, we could wait for weeks or months or even longer before seeing a job that meets our “perfect” criteria.  Second, there will always be tons of other candidates waiting for that same opportunity, which means we may not get an interview.  Third, if we get an interview, we may not get an offer.

Even if we make it through the interview process and get an offer, there’s another thing to consider:  the job opportunity that we’ve been waiting for patiently, the one we’ve identified as the ”big one”, may turn out to be a huge disappointment.  Instead of the “big one” it may be the “dud”.

As much as I would love to sit and wait for the perfect job, it’s in my best interest to try for those that at least look promising.  Even if I don’t get an offer or if I decide to turn something down, I’ve gotten more experience under my belt so I’m ready when the right one comes along.

Note that I said “right one”, not “perfect one”.   There are good things about every job and the experience gained is invaluable.

The surfers we were watching were pros; they had perfected their skill to know exactly which wave to catch to get a winning score.  In the real world of desk jobs and cubicles, most of us are still working on our careers and sometimes need to take a less-than-perfect job to get additional experience.  Even those of us who are seasoned veterans know the importance of constantly adding new skills to our resume to stay marketable.

I’m sure the surfers we saw would tell job seekers to “Go for it, man” and “Hang loose”.   Translation: Submit your resume; what have you got to lose?