August Retrospective

Time to turn the page to another month. Wait, do many people still use actual calendars? Regardless, there are many life events worth sharing from August 2013.

On The Move
I racked up lots of miles on the road in August. The month began with my fleeing from the spare room at my parent’s house (where I had been for several weeks) to return to the Washington, DC area. My parents and I are differ more than night and day so the move back to northern Virginia was a nice reprieve from a bad situation. But, I didn’t stay in one place for long.

Interviews
Shortly after ending up in the DC area, I received a call out of the blue regarding  an unadvertised opportunity in my Indiana hometown. I am very thankful that a friend and former co-worker thought of me for this soon-to-be-available position. I flew back to Indiana for the interview (plus, the State Fair and minor league baseball) and it went really well. I am so eager to return to a position allowing me to offer solutions to clients through the creation of content and development of content strategies! Despite a great interview with this great company, a person previously identified as a ‘perfect fit’ received and accepted the company’s offer. I had great admiration for the company based on my prior knowledge of it and the interview only reinforced that. The company has great people and a bright future.

I also landed an interview with a county government agency just outside of Washington, DC. The interview was the most bizarre interview of my 17 months of unemployment. First, the details of the position differed greatly from the posted job description. Then, I became baffled as it became very clear that I fit every desired trait for the position, yet the interviewers couldn’t have been more disengaged in the interview. No follow up questions, no prodding for more details, no reactions to the fact that I fit the candidate profile they so desire. Needless to say, I received no post-interview follow-up.

Even More Travel
I also was fortunate to spend a few days in one of my favorite places, Fort Lauderdale. My phone never left the hotel room, so I have no beach pictures. But, I do have a few pieces of coral to remind me of the trip. I also stumbled upon the beach location of a Pittsburgh restaurant institution, Primanti Borthers. The place is known for sandwiches where the meat, fries, and coleslaw are all thrown between the buns. It’s a big sandwich and quite tasty.

What’s Ahead
Today marks the two-year anniversary of my final day as a morning radio host. After that day’s show, I received a call I was finally getting the promotional transfer that had been discussed for a while. Despite great happiness in broadcasting, I have only applied to a handful of industry jobs as I try to launch a new career.

As I enter my 18th month of being on the sidelines, I’m still confident in my ability to land a great career opportunity. I have reached out to (and ignored by) many, but still know virtually no one in the Washington, DC area. This predicament is detrimental to the job search and developing friendships. Every time I draw a proverbial line in the sand (a date to leave the DC area) an interview comes along. So, I keep painstakingly riding out the unhappiness of being so disconnected here. Obviously, I’m still seeking opportunities in many parts of the country.

Outside of the job search, I’ve done a great job of steadily exercising. I’ve shed more than 20 pounds and hope to continue my self-improvement after landing a job. I also hope the coming weeks will bring opportunities to do more than simply manage fantasy football teams. I’m working hard chasing opportunities and if you know of a need for someone with social media, marketing, PR knowledge, please let me know!