This is going to be a long post.  I haven’t done any revisions this weekend because over the Easter weekend, it became very clear to me that my current method of dealing with not being in a career–which is to say, not doing any active job searching and instead relying on my new business of Bright Idea Computers plus my current part-time job at K-Mart to provide the income–was not working very well. And what’s more, it can’t work very well.  There is no short-term plan for survival in this.

In fact, it’s not a plan.  It’s pie in the sky.

I would be remiss if I did not say that my parents had something to do with this rude awakening.  They’re right, of course.  I’m making a lot of long-term plans but am doing nothing to survive in the here and now.  What’s more, I’ve been relying on the charity of others to take care of my living situation, and that arrangement has gone far beyond the initial estimate of three months living with them.  And that’s not a good situation to be in.  So my parents are rightfully worried. And so am I.

This isn’t how I was raised–to lounge around and let others carry my burden while I chase dreams.  This isn’t some romantic notion of the starving artist.  It’s just embarrassing.

So why am I posting this here?  Won’t recruiters and job searchers find this site?

The short answer is, yes, some probably will.  It may keep them from making a job offer.  I hope that isn’t the case, because I don’t shirk responsibilities in my work.  I take pride in everything I do.  However, I’ve been in a different place mentally with the job search.  It’s something I haven’t wanted to face. To face the fact that one is effectively stuck and not progressing in a career… to admit to yourself that you don’t know the first place to start… well, it’s degrading.  It’s better to pretend that I am doing something constructive by focusing on the future.

I have no illusions that information posted publicly on the Internet can be read by anyone–and likely will be read by anyone.  And yes… I realize that I’m playing with my future employment potential by posting this.  I get that.  If I fail, then it hurts that and makes my job to get a job even harder.

But it’s time I put up or shut up.  This is my way of staying accountable–by posting this to the world and then updating you all on my progress.  It’s also time that I prove to myself that I can do what it takes to survive in this world. Getting a hand up from others when I’m knocked down is fine.  But staying down just because it’s easier… isn’t. And that’s what I’ve been doing by not facing the situation I’m in.

And so, I need to make some changes in the way I do business.  I have been spending the last week reflecting on how best to do that.

So far, what I have come up with is reorienting my sleep schedule so that I don’t waste my mornings.  My part-time schedule at K-Mart has kept me tied up for most of the afternoons and evenings in the weekday, so I can’t spend that time looking for jobs.  So, I have forced myself to get up at 8am for the last two days.  I’m not a morning person–it doesn’t fit my lifestyle.  But I will get up at 8am every day I have to work at my part-time job so that I can use the mornings to search for jobs.

Second, I am taking a cue from Philippa Ballantine and limiting the time I spend on my novel to Sundays only until such a time as I attain full-time employment in my career field.  When Philippa worked as a librarian, she did Writing Fridays.  I’m introducing Writing Sundays.  And so my writing-centric updates to this site will change from Saturdays to Mondays. I’ve used my dreams of becoming a professional author as an excuse for not job hunting.  I’m still going to chase that dream, but I’m going to only do so on Sundays, because that is the day that will least impact my job search.

This also means that Active Worlds and SW City will stay where it is; on the back burner.  And my voice acting career will be limited to one major project at a time.

Third, I’m going to expand my search to several states and cities instead of just limiting it to Colorado Springs.  The Springs job market is stagnant and has been that way for years–since before the recession.  I need to start looking elsewhere.  I’ve had one great Reason for wanting to stay in the Springs, but she was the one who suggested I start looking elsewhere.  I’m so lucky that she is so understanding.

Fourth, I do not have an extensive network of people from which to tap for job opportunities, so I will need to focus my job search to making personal contact with as many prospects as possible.  Sending out my resume to faceless names on the Internet won’t cut it.

Fifth, I’ve been looking at apartments.  There will be enough cash for me to live alone for two months.  I’m going to try to find an apartment this month.  I have already created a preliminary list of suitable apartment complexes in the city that I will be visiting when I can.  Having a time bomb ticking that I’ll be living in should get me off my duffer long enough to at least become financially independent once again.  The trick will be balancing this need to get back out on my own with the main priority of job searching.

This is what I am promising to myself to do.  You who read this are who will keep me accountable to do so.  You know my past failings in this area.  You know what I intend to do about it.  And someday, hopefully soon, you will see me succeed.

That’s a promise.

I’m sure many of you are also in a similar situation–either unemployed or finding yourself in an unfulfilling job (although my time at K-Mart has been fulfilling, staying a mere associate isn’t something I want to do).  What strategies have you leveraged to find the employment you want?