Knee Deep in Needles (and Pins)

Okay... I haven't written about this before because I don't want to jinx anything. But... I've been on a major job hunt since March.

Since leaving my last Job of Consequence (JOC) in May of 2007, I've taken time off to reflect (very cool) taken a screenwriting class (in NYC -- also very cool), moved in with the Partner in Crime (too cool for words) and moved south of the Mason-Dixon line (the jury is still out -- but so far so good).

I'd not wanted to take a serious job before the move south because I didn't want to get invested in something I knew I'd have to leave in fairly short order. So I took a job that was undemanding in the extreme. (Looking elsewhere on the blog will fill you in as to where that is.) Since the move south, I've ramped things up a bit as it looks like we'll be here for at least three years if not longer.

In addition, I'm making a career change. I did the journalism thing for eight years. That's quite long enough (for me) and it fits my pattern -- I was a hair burner for eight years prior to that and before that, well... I was young.

Since the move, I've applied for... wait, let me check... ... ... 35 different jobs here in the land of Dixie. (That's according to the spreadsheet I'm keeping at the recommendation of the PIC -- a good idea, I think, as it lets me see what I've been doing and keep track of things).

A good many of the jobs I've applied for have been get-your-foot-in-the-door deals -- some admin type deal that'll get me to a place where I can work my way up. Ugh.

Then there are the handful of jobs that I actually wanted for one reason or another -- either the job looked appealing or the company looked appealing. Needless to say (I really do have to look up the origins of that saying...), I didn't get any of them.

My overall impression is that given the breadth of my resume the interviewers thought I was either way over qualified or way underqualified.

Ugh.

Now, there is a job I've applied for for which I feel I'm qualified AND I really want it. It's a web content management position at the region's largest employer. (I won't go into any details -- see the jinx comment above -- until all is said and done). I've had a phone interview (90 min.), an in-person interview (5 1/2 hours, 6 different people), and a writing test.

The first two steps went swimmingly. Then, on the writing test, I choked. I got nervous, there were technical difficulties, and (if you've been reading carefully you know this) it's been over a year since I had a JOC.

There are four people applying for two positions with this job. I'm hoping that a poor performance on the writing test (my perception -- not anything that anyone has confirmed) won't eliminate me from the running.

I expect to hear this week.

I'll keep you posted.