Life events can be totally crushing to the spirit. I have been unemployed for 10 months and for the last five months, have actively been job-hunting, which is a time-consuming process. Even with 30 years of work experience and good office/computer skills, I am having trouble landing a job.
Shanna graduated a couple of weeks ago (look at the joy on her face!) and applied for a job that would have been perfect for her and given her lots of opportunities for advancement. I think as a person ages, we expect or at least brace ourselves for the possibility that our dream or wish won’t come true. Shanna made it through the first several stages of the application process for this job and then took a test yesterday, which she failed. If there are job openings for this particular job in 6 months, she can try again…but for now, she’s absolutely crushed. She pinned all her hopes and plans on that one job and now feels like the bottom has dropped out. She mapped out all her hopes, dreams and plans on this one job. I tend to be a positive, optimistic person but am also realistic and know that finding a job in this market is tough, even for someone like me with good skills. I spend hours ever week looking through job descriptions, sending my resume and cover letter, keeping a log of all my applications.
It’s hard for me to remember being 18 and trying to find myself in the world. Like many others, I tried college right after high school and failed miserably. We had just moved from Loveland, Colorado, where I was born and raised, to Portland, Oregon and the culture shock was huge…from a small town to a big city. I wasn’t prepared to enter such a big world. It took me several years to settle down, work a couple of jobs, and then finally go back to school. For many of us, we don’t necessarily follow our dreams as much as fall into a job which becomes our life. While I’ve had some great jobs, they weren’t what I dreamed I would be doing. Sometimes, it’s who you know or being in the right place at the right time. Today’s high school graduates have some tough choices…Shanna isn’t ready for college yet and is looking for that “perfect job”…so am I but I’m realistic enough to know that perfect jobs are hard to find. Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…it’s hard work and sometimes, settling for a steady job which pays the bill has to be enough, at least for now. How do I let her know not to give up on her dreams but also, that reality often wins over dreams?
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