Deeps Thoughts with Nora

I have been somewhat uninspired to blog recently...we had a week of rain and the job hunt has been slow...I did apply for a job at a big bank/financial services firm. The job was slightly out of my ability realm, but through Linked In, I had some insiders that could maybe help me get my resume in front of the recruiter/hiring manager. So, one of my insiders reported back and said "well, the bad news is, 600 people submitted resumes for this position." Holy cow, I couldn't even believe it. Well, needless to say, I didn't make the cut. Normally I would feel depressed about not making the cut, but really...the population of a small town applied for this job. I wasn't upset. On the flip side, my insider told me the recruiter indicated another position would be posted soon that might fit my skill set better...so she's suppose to keep me in the loop. Jackpot. Networking is paying off.....

Speaking of networking, I have become friends with a woman who lives in my building. Her husband lived in Dallas for about 6 years and worked for a now-defunct public accounting firm (I won't mention any firms' names here, except the name was two words and each word started with A's). As it turns out, she and her husband actually know several people I do as a result of their connection to Dallas and his former employment at Arthur Andersen (whoops, I mentioned it.) I find it crazy! But the best news is, she and her husband are incredibly nice people and I am lucky to be able to call them my friends. In addition, each of them are very well connected and have vowed to help me find a job, so in addition to friends they may turn out to be co-workers, too. Fingers crossed!

On the whole, the people I have met thus far in Chicago, are super genuine and friendly. Or maybe it's just that most of the folks that live inside the City are around my age, single or married without kids....so there is a kinship between us. In addition, I have met a number of individuals who are looking for work, too, so there is a natural inclination to bond to these folks. One even suggested starting an unemployment club...where we would get together and have lunch and drinks everyday. This sounds great...but I asked how do you finance unemployment club? I was told it is a lot easier to be a member when you have an employed spouse...oh, there's the other shoe dropping. So I decided my next goal was to start "find an employed spouse" club.

On a final note, a friend came to visit this weekend from Dallas, who is herself in between careers. She used to work in technology for a big bank and when she realized she was unhappy in her job, she decided she would became a teacher. She is certified to teach history and will take her social studies certification exam this summer. Anyway, she was uncertain if she wanted to look for jobs outside Dallas, but I have become her success story. What?! Okay, so maybe not such a success yet seeing as how I am still unemployed, but her role model...well, maybe that's stretching it....okay, I have inspired....no, that might be too strong, too....let's settle on the fact that I am an indicator that she too can move from Dallas and survive. And in the words of President Obama "Yes, we can [survive]."

Keep on keeping on, Nora