It’s interesting how, when going through something that matters to you ~ you suddenly notice conversations, people and situations around you that hold meaning to what you’re working toward. The more Spiritual amongst us call that Synchronicity ~ others call it Fortuitous or Coincidence. Either way, it’s quite fascinating.
In my quest for Gainful, Compensated Employment in return for Significant Contribution ~ I’m connecting with people I haven’t seen for more than a decade (almost 2 decades in some cases) and having conversations that I haven’t had to engage in for some time now. Job Seeking is tiring and can leave me feeling depleted. Job Landing so far eludes me ~ and it is HERE where I begin my reflection on the fact that Dreams Can Ask A Lot of Us.
I don’t have a Dream Job in mind ~ in fact, my dream is actually to consistently partner in the financial maintenance of my family; in a way that benefits all involved from all the experience and wisdom I’ve accumulated over the years. The challenge of packaging my diverse skill set continues to keep my brain synapses firing ~ and it’s also suffering a bit at the mercy of existing systems in place for screening submitted resumes.
This week – a few things surprised me, caught my attention in a way that has my Imagination at work to find a way for me to shine on this playing field that is not conducive to showcasing my offering. I’ll share two of them with you in case you are also experiencing challenges in this area and maybe have advice to share, or – at the very least, you can leave here with a sense that you are not alone.
You are not qualified – for almost anything …
I enjoyed a phone conversation earlier this week with a woman I admired immensely in my Professional Life Before Children. She was smart, she was focused, she did not suffer fools well, she cut to the chase, distraction didn’t exist and, when she was ‘off the clock’ ~ she was warm, compassionate, thoughtful with a good sense of humour. This woman has an MBA, an Honours BA and an impressive career history with regards to results and position power. Now, she’s contracting as an Executive Search Agent ~ and she contacted me to give me advice on my existing LinkedIn Profile and a Resume I sent for her perusal.
Part-way through our conversation, she admitted that Job Searching is a really humbling experience. She shared that she’s been to Job Search sites where you can input your information and determine how qualified you are for certain careers ~ and that many find that, in spite of their education, degrees, etc. ~ they come out as qualified for very little. That would be humbling. I haven’t actually done this yet, it’s one of my Next Steps in this quest ~ but I’m grateful for the heads-up so I don’t leave the computer feeling completely shattered.
Don’t put THAT on your resume …
The second ‘surprise’ I’d like to share is how many times I’ve been advised what NOT to put on my resume if I truly desire to be considered as a serious candidate. Many of my Right Brained skills, for instance – the creativity and insight and perception that flows from an ability to step out of a situation and see it through the eyes of Imagination. You know, that skill that allows Innovators to Innovate.
While sharing my skills and gifts inventory ~ there is a respect and admiration for the many offerings I have at the ready to bring to wherever I end up – and an admitting to the fact that there is a necessity for someone like me in the workforce today. In spite of that however, I’m told these same skills and gifts are best left OFF my resume as they may not give the right impression in the professional realm – or they may intimidate others in the field who will not want to work with me, etc. So, in essence, this is a process where you hide the ‘unacceptable’ parts of who you are – keeping them for more personal aspects of your life, or easing them into your professional life once you’ve got in the door and have been deemed ‘acceptable’ first.
I completely understand where this advice is coming from – and that it’s being shared in the spirit of helping me.
The paradox that arrests me and keeps my thoughts in a spin, is this: in a time when differentiating your product, service or outlet is critical to your survival – and being unique yet useful can build, and grow, customers and loyalty (thus sales and profit) – - why are we still being encouraged to fit a certain mold before allowed access for consideration as a significant, contributing member to the team and/or organization?
And this: In these times where many in the workforce feel like the Spirit has been sucked right out of them ~ why is it not beneficial to highlight the fact that infusing Spirit with energy, confidence, motivation and purpose happens to be one of the things you do best?
Again, I know the standard answer to these questions – but I do think that, while everything as we know it is changing all around us ~ many systems in many aspects of life no longer support the reality in place … and the disconnect is hurting us all. Our schools are filled with children not receiving the learning and education to which they’re entitled, our planet is filled with people not receiving levels of health care they need, not getting the food, clean water, love, support and safety that really should be a birth right. There is so much that we could be doing better, so much in need of improvement or rebuilding or recreating … and yet the supporting structures remain fixed and very much part of the overall problem.
So to circle back to where we began …
I’m learning through all this that Dreams Can Ask A Lot Of Us. Seldom do they show up in a bright, shiny, red wagon with a tooting horn and stars galore. Often, they are the reward you receive for investing the time, effort, focus, resourcefulness and diligence necessary to bring your vision to fruition with intelligence, creativity and ingenuity. Along the way, we do our best to ‘Live and learn from fools and from sages’ and to always, always always – Dream On …