Black Fridays

I haven't been posting as much as usual. I must apologize for this. Basically, when there's good news, all I want to do is write! But when there's bad news, I'm not so inclined to share it. A part of me does want to write about it, but another part would rather focus on something more positive or perhaps just contemplate the information privately at first.

I'm not talking about major life events type of bad news, just the inevitable rough days that come with the nature of conducting a job hunt and the rejection that comes with the process. The last 2 weeks have ended on a "bad" note. Me finding out I didn't get an interview for a position I thought I really wanted, finding out that the WestJet Recruiter role has been moved from Calgary to Toronto after my first interview, or (here's the really bad one) getting some astonishing feedback that I won't further be considered for a great Student Recruiting role because I went out for a social coffee with someone in the department. Yeah... I know, it sounds crazy to me too. That was the real Black Friday, on October 27th.

It was all office politics.. someone in the department thought it looked like I was "taking the HR office administrator out for coffee to pump her for inside information about the company and glean specifics about the actual role," and that seemed sneaky and underhanded Whoooosh! I know, it sounds crazy to me too. Factor in that SHE asked me to go out for coffee, not vice versa, and that it was a primarily social connection (she is a singer and launching an album, and I'm trying to find a singing group here in Calgary), and that we barely spoke about the company, except when she brought it up. I was able to clear my name and my innocence and do some great damage control with my interviewer by sharing my perspective, but still. What a learning experience. Obviously that job isn't coming my way, and I'm not quite sure I'd want it to after all the red flags that were triggered by the fact that they were willing to judge a candidate based on water-cooler gossip without even confirming with the source, the Administrator herself. Thanks but no thanks. At the time, it really really hurt, because I had gotten attached to the outcome, and wanted the position so badly. It felt right, and I thought I was close to finishing my job hunt and got my hopes up!

I've learned so much from these experiences already. Especially the importance of not getting attached to any one particular outcome, but being open to all of them, and outcomes that I haven't even imagined exist yet! In a nutshell, that is why I haven't been writing as much lately, as I processed the rejections, learned from them, and strategized on how to proceed with Phase 2 of my job hunt. I'm once again well on my way to success!