the agony of job hunting

Along with getting kicked in the jewels (if you are a male), job hunting is one of the most painful experiences there is. The reason being is that I find job hunting takes the wind right out of my sails, often makes me physically ill, and can be a degrading and humiliating experience.

I struggle with the idea of having to "sell" myself like I am product and that some cover letter/resume can actually convey my quality as a person or employee. I also find it quite daunting because when you read job descriptions, they can make what appears to be even the most straightforward job sound like rocket science, which makes you not want to bother applying because, if you're anything like me, you are thinking "This is way too much for me, I don't have the skills to do this!" In addition, throughout my employment experience I have found that the old maxim "it's not what you know it's who you know" has held true--every single job I've scored has been through some kind of personal connection or favour involving someone I know. I have no guilt about this because it is the same for most people. However, this may be the first time (in the librarian world that is) where I have to stand on my own merits and win a job based on my personal merits and qualifications--damn! I am thankful that I have people behind me, both family and friends as well as professional colleagues, who believe in me and will give me good references.

Currently reading: Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed