Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Rejected Transplant

During my first couple of months here, I was applying for jobs in the city pretty haphazardly (whatever seemed interesting on Craigslist or CareerBuilder) and getting at least one reply a week. If the reply wasn't to invite me to an interview, it was sometimes to ask me to clarify or expound upon something in my cover letter or resume. At the very least, I was getting responses back to say that the position had already been filled or that they didn't think I was qualified. Then, almost two months ago, the replies stopped.

About the time that I started applying not only to jobs that seemed interesting but also to just about any job I thought I could do for a while and that payed enough for me to get by -- about that time, I stopped hearing back from the people I was sending my resume to. At first, I thought it was just a dry spell, but, nearly two months later, it's seeming more like a drought.

I'm not sure if the problem is with what I'm applying for, who I'm applying to, or something on my resume. But I'm beyond discouraged. I had thought that by now I would have had a job for a month or two, be looking for an apartment, and saving up for one more month or so before I moved out of Happy Time and Stellar's place. But here I am: surviving only by the grace of friends and no closer to finding employment or living quarters in the city than I was at the beginning of the summer.

Moving from Kansas City seems pretty long ago. More and more it feels like it was a mistake. What opportunities did I think were here for me? What did I dislike so much about Kansas City? I don't even remember anymore. And I literally can't go back; I don't have the means or any better of a shot finding a job back there anyway.

The transplant is complete, and I'm sewn inside this new city. I am a mismatched organ, and Chicago is rejecting me wholesale.

3 comments:

  1. Not quite a sardonic quip, and probably not what you want to hear, but it too me an entire year to find a real job after moving to Chicago, and that was *before* the economy went down the crapper. Keep on truckin', hon!!

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  2. Well, after reading your post, I get a real feeling for what Zach perceives is his 'not so excellent adventure'. Often times, we humans label something bad or a mistake when situations don't appear to be as we want them or it is causing us pain...not always the case. Especially years from now when you look back and perhaps see how fertile this time was. But I am sure that remark is of no comfort to you now. So let's explore the reality as it may very well be.

    1. You moved to a city much larger than Kansas City were there are who knows how many more job seekers in the job competition.

    2. You moved from a city that has its roots in the rural midwest and the atomosphere a little slower and the professional expectation a little less. In other words the bar has been raised. You are now vying for the Olympics...

    3. It a matter of choice...you can find out what this new job market thinks, how to get in the competition and be taken seriously, or choose to move back or somewhere else for that matter.YOu have friends and family in several places that would help you. It may take some creative planning and you might not be able to do it by this week-end. But,you are not sewn into this or any situation, that's only you putting limitations on yourself.

    For some reason Mrs. Sperry came to mind...

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  3. my first year-and-change in Philadelphia was extremely frustrating. there is no certainly when you're freelancing, and i arrived broker than broke, borrowing money from friends and sleeping on a couch. earnestly gainful employment didn't begin for me until almost a year ago. hang in there and graciously accept the hospitality of friends as long as you are able to. have faith and it'll pay off eventually.

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