Job Searching for the Weary

[Originally posted June 1, 2009 on Wanderlust @ Blogger.com]

So, I’m nearing month six of job searching with no positive results. Granted – for five of those six months I was looking in a country that would neither give me a work permit or more than one smile a week, but still, starting over a job search now doesn’t feel exhiliarating or “fresh”…it feels sucky.

Now I get to do what I did six months ago…again.

1. Email all university/internship/people from elementary school that might be able to connect me to someone who can email someone who can send someone a telegram…who can help me find work.

2. Scour all the relevant job search sites: Monster, Foreign Policy Jobs, Washington Post.

3. Write “personal” covering letters of which I know 95% aren’t even read.

4. Repear

5. Wait.

6. Wait.

7. You get the idea…

So in this new renewed job search I’ve gotten one interview, for which I flew from London to NYC to show them my apparent zeal and excitement for the opportunity…for which they promptly rejected me because I seemed too efficient, too driven…in the words of the incumbent, who sent me a personal email, “We chose some bookish looking boy who, honestly, will probably be happy to quietly stay here for some years, content with the system.” Whaa? Maybe I should have dumbed myself down then? I guess not, but sheesh! Half the jobs say I’m underqualified, the other 45% don’t get back to me, and now, “overqualification” is a new one I can add to the list.

Well, in a month I will leave the home of Churchill, numerous Tamil street riots, and 3AM kebabs and return to DC to continue my searching…and waiting…

AND P.S.

TO COMPANIES WHO POST ON ONLINE JOB BOARDS:
Please, PLEASE, remove old positions that have been filled, so I don’t spend 2 hours writing a cover letter, tinkering with my resume, and sending it off only to receive an instant “this has been filled” reply. Thanks.