Day 26: Disciplined Imagination

Yes we know it's an opportunity for a new beginning.

Yes I know I will find a job, at the right place & at the right time.

Yes this too shall pass, that everything is temporary.

I hear this time and time again, mostly conversations in my head. And other times it's from someone else I'm speaking with. I know it's all true; at the same time, it's also true that being laid-off sucksssssssssssss.

Those who have gone, or are going through being laid-off would know what I'm talking about. Those who are not laid-off or never were, can empathize and offer kind words & gestures – one lovely lady kept sending me job offers, which I appreciate a lot; another was helping me identify network areas that would benefit from what i had to offer; others were checking in regularly and offering encouragement, and if there's anything they can help with.

Being laid-off feels overwhelming.

Job Categories

I realize I was doing more "work" than when I was actually employed! I even "worked" on Saturdays & Sundays, when these are ritually my time-off days. And yet the irony is that I am out of work. The work that I was doing was mainly hunting for jobs that fell into 3 general piles:

1. Job that pays the bills: What I could do, even though excitement factor is low

2. Job that can be interesting: What I could do, with excitement factor being medium

3. Job that I actually want: What I could do, and excitement factor is high

Once I've saved a job, I further categorize them so I can know how much effort to spend in tailoring my CV & Cover Letter. So that's the where most of my time & energy is spent, followed by doing the work of tailoring itself.

Tailoring CV & Cover Letters

This is where my weakness comes in: my perfectionism. Wanting to tell a compelling story in my cover letter takes time and thought. Then there's drafting and editing and rewriting. Then constantly looking back and forth at my CV and Cover Letter to make sure they complement each other. Then there's formatting. Ugh I wish I could just copy and paste everything but the perfectionist in me looks at every detail and makes sure each bullet point is relevant.

Money Matters

Living in New York City is not cheap. Now there's the financial insecurity from not having a job and regular income – will I have enough to cover me for the next few months? I thank past Niz for setting up those automatic savings moving money thing. But still, now I am reconsidering my lifestyle choices and be more mindful of how & where I can get better value for my money. Frugal is such an ugly word. So is truth.

Reaching Out to Network