Job Hunting Chronicles

Happy Saturday 🌞  I took this picture as I was leaving one of my five cat sitting appointments that I have today. It's a beautiful day and there are definitely worse ways to spend it than hanging out with some cool cats 😺 Job seekers, it's ok to look for nontraditional ways to earn some money while searching for your next full-time role...don't let the talking heads of LinkedIn tell you otherwise. Have a great weekend ✌️ #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #CatSitting #CatSitter #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Thursday🥊 As a freelancer, I've gotten some weird requests but this is definitely one of the weirder ones 😂 For the record, I turned the job down. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #JobHuntingChronicles

#MerryMonday  🌊 I just got back from a week-long cat 🐈 sitting job in Northern California. I made a point of not going on LinkedIn 🚫 while I was at this job - not for any specific reason, just to take a break from the job-related posts and messages. And you know what? IT WAS AWESOME 👏 Job seekers, I know it seems counterintuitive to take a break from the job search but I promise you, it can be so beneficial to your mental health 🧘🏼‍♀️ I have another freelance job starting at the end of this week so I can take today to do laundry, go on a walk, bill the previous job and then dive back into the job search (both freelance and full-time) 💻 I took this picture of the Pacific Ocean on my drive home yesterday shortly before I got off the freeway to my condo. There really is no place like home 🏡 Have a great week! #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #CatSitting #CatSitter #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Friday 🚙 I picked up my rental car today. This weekend I'm driving up to Northern California for a cat sitting job 🐈‍⬛. Do I usually travel 👝 for a cat sitting job? No. The one exception I make is for family and believe it or not, this is the first of two out of town cat sitting jobs for me (the second is in March, that one requires flying to another city, I'm looking at you, Dallas 🛩).  I've commented on many posts from job seekers telling them sometimes you have to look outside of traditional jobs to make money 💲, even if it's only temporary. This is an example of that. And I feel lucky that at this weird point in my career, I can visit with family and help them out while they're away from home. Have a great weekend! I'll probably be off LinkedIn for most of the next week to enjoy some downtime. Job seekers, it's ok to step away for a bit. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #JobHuntingChron...

Happy Tuesday 🩷 Last week I spoke with someone who was looking for a bookkeeper. It was a position that she was having a little trouble defining on the phone, but that happens more than you think so it wasn't a red flag to me (I'll call it yellow).  She asked what I would charge her and I told her I was reluctant to quote a fee without knowing exactly what the job entailed, but added my fees start at $X (that way, if the job was much more intensive, I could quote another fee without being locked into $X). We continued chatting and then she mentioned she had several other people to talk to. Since I mentioned that I had 2 upcoming out of town jobs, I didn't really expect to hear from her. A few days later I received this text from her (I blocked her name out for privacy) and you know what? I was thrilled. Not because I didn't get the job but because she closed the loop. You have NO IDEA how appreciated that is. This simple, three sentence text allowed me to move on to th...

Happy Saturday 💙 This week (including today) was busy in the fostering and cat sitting part of my life but I love it 🐈 Yesterday I met with someone who has been in assisted living for a year and is looking for a long-term foster for her 9 year old cat. Her vet's office got my name and number from the rescue I foster for, and after a phone call earlier in the week where I was hired on the spot (well, hired is a bit of a misnomer since fostering is not a job that actually pays me 😂), I went to the assisted living facility to meet with the cat's owner to help ease any concerns she may have had (turns out, she had none 🤩). This cat is clearly loved and rehoming her is out of the question for the owner so I'm happy to help. Since I have two out of town cat sitting jobs already scheduled, we decided that I'd pick up the cat in April. So why am I telling you this? I'm not sure, other than maybe to remind people (especially job seekers) to stay open to op...

Happy Thursday 💙 I took this picture on my walk to the park this morning. This park is farther away from my home than the one I usually walk through so I had a lot of time to think. The job market right now is brutal for job seekers like me. Companies and recruiters have the upper hand and they know it. And they're taking advantage of it. It's up to candidates to start pushing back. I've seen many posts from job seekers complaining about being ghosted. About not getting feedback. About being rushed to interview and then finding out that others had rescheduled theirs. About doing projects that took a lot of time and then have been told the role is on hold. About another round of interviews being added. The list goes on and on. And I get it, it's frustrating. I find myself commenting things like "until candidates stop doing free work, companies are going to continue to ask for it" and "you have the option of bowing out anytime you want". I don...