When I graduated from college, I had three jobs. I worked as a receptionist during the day, a stringer at a newspaper at night, and a sales associate at a clothing store on the weekends. I was 22 and full of energy. I loved being busy. Years later and not much has changed, except I have less energy and I’ve lost count of how many jobs I have these days. I can tell you that it’s a lot more than three.

Thanks to COVID-19, I was furloughed from my job at Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and started looking for a new one. Job hunting was a full-time endeavor. (Don’t let anyone tell you differently). From 9-5, I attended networking several events over Zoom, scheduled 1:1 networking calls, posted articles on LinkedIn, and worked with a career coach on developing my personal brand and a career plan. And yes, I applied to jobs too, but only twice a week. Why? Because I customized each cover letter and resume to the job I wanted. I did my homework by studying the websites, reading between the lines of the job descriptions, and crafting my application accordingly. I filled out the on-line applications, looked within my network for someone who had an “in” at that company, and prepared for phone and Zoom interviews. It was a full-time gig.

Thankfully, it paid off! During this pandemic, I was able to find a new job that I started a few weeks ago. Onboarding was thorough but didn’t last long and now I have plenty of great and challenging projects to work on. I’m happy about being able to contribute early on, but also nervous I will fail miserably when I’m trying to make a good first impression. No wonder I’m so tired at night.

But, that’s not all.

On the side, I’ve networked my way onto a few speaking panels. I never thought I’d be a public speaker, but I love sharing my experiences and dropping some knowledge to those starting out in their careers or to my colleagues who are looking for new ideas. I need a slide deck for each presentation, so I’m constantly working in PowerPoint and getting pretty good at it. Last weekend, I spoke to an organization based in Nigeria about storytelling and fundraising in nonprofit organizations. Yep, I went global! That was pretty cool.

Did I mention, I’m also a student? Digital marketing was not something they taught in college 20 years ago because it didn’t exist! So, I’m enrolled in night classes to earn an Integrated Digital Marketing certificate from Penn State. No homework or tests–thank goodness–but being a student takes a lot of brainpower.

But the most important job is the one I’m not being paid for. I’m a wife and a mother. Even though my kids are teenagers now, there is still plenty to do. I don’t have a large house, but keeping it running can be a full-time job in itself. My spare time is taken up by laundry, dishes, and cooking. I’ve recently decided that whoever deemed this “women’s work: was just too damn lazy to do it himself!

About a month ago, a human resources manager asked me what I like to do for fun which turned out to be the hardest interview question I had to answer. Getting time to myself is the biggest struggle I have had lately. Between career, school, and housework, there isn’t much time for volunteering, reading, or blogging let alone binge-watching The Crown on Netflix. My version of downtime is falling asleep on the couch by 9:30 pm, but I don’t think that answer would have landed me the job. I may have said something about jigsaw puzzles – exciting, right!

But, I know I happily chose this lifestyle and would do it again. I’d much rather be busy than bored – as long as it doesn’t lead to burnout. I just hope I can find some time soon to stop and smell the roses.

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First – apologies to my friends and family who have already heard my good news on Facebook and LinkedIn. You are about to read it again. 🙂

For the rest of you, guess what?! I got a new job!!!

I’m excited to start this new chapter of my life with an opportunity that truly matches up to my values, skills, talents, and passions. It did not happen overnight. Far from it! I was furloughed back in July, but I was already looking. And when I stopped working, I was determined to find a new job.

I’ll be honest. I got frustrated and there were times that I started to lose hope. I was up for some fantastic positions. I have a solid resume and the right stories to use during interviews. It just wasn’t the right time. In fact, finding a job in normal times is never easy. Add in a pandemic and a bad economy, and it was even more difficult. I had to stand out in a huge pool of people who were just as talented, experienced, and recently unemployed. I had to make a lot of adjustments to my process. I did more networking than applying. I learned to interview over Zoom. I took classes to improve my skills. And building my brand on LinkedIn became my new favorite pastime.

I learned so much! And I’m glad to have this platform, so I can pass along some advice (and some good stories) to those of you who may still be looking.

Here is lesson number one.

Know When to Walk Away

It seems like a funny lesson to start with, but when you spend every waking moment looking for a job, you want to know that you are making some headway. So, I learned to recognize when an opportunity just wasn’t right for me.

In one particular case, I met with several people from an organization on three separate occasions. After the initial phone interview, I was asked to provide two writing samples and put together a 15-minute presentation to show my understanding of their mission, and how I could help them meet and exceed their goals. I spent several days preparing and practicing, and I was proud of the job I did. I knew they were impressed too because, during my 1:1 time with the CEO, she asked me if I taught public speaking.

Yeah, I made it to round three. I met with the same people as before, but this time I was asked to edit one of their pieces for both content and grammar.

And then, they asked for a fourth meeting to “discuss my skills.”

At this point, I realized my skills couldn’t possibly be in question. They even told me I was the only candidate they were pursuing. Clearly, I had already proven my value. Their question was about fit. Was I the right person for the role? It was then that I decided to walk away.

I wasn’t angry. Relieved was more like it. If they couldn’t see it, there wasn’t anything more I could say or do to convince them otherwise.

It was a shame, but I kept moving forward knowing there was something better out there for me. I’m so glad I found it.

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