Job Hunting Chronicles

#MerryMonday  📰 OOO June has been a busy month 🗓 for freelancing and I have a few days before my 4th of July 🇺🇲 cat sitting jobs 🐈 start so I'm taking them off to enjoy some me time 🏖 The best part? 🚫 I don't have to request time off 🚫 I don't have to get permission from a manager 🚫 I don't have to do my work in advance 🚫 I don't have to get someone to cover my absence ✅️ I just get to do it Having that freedom never gets old. See you on the other side of the holiday 🎉 (picture taken on my walk yesterday) #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Friday 📰 I really like today's calendar message because I think a lot of us looking for a job need this reminder: until it's in writing, it's not real. And if a company keeps making excuses for why they haven't gotten back to you, that's a red flag and it's time to move on (imo). I've seen a few posts this week where OP's have claimed employers said one thing then did the opposite, or said a written offer was coming by a certain day and time only to not receive it, or after verbally being told they'd be moving on to the next round, never hearing from them. I get it, it's tough. But if this is how a company is treating you when theoretically they should be trying to convince you to work for them (shocking take I know, but I firmly believe the interview process is a two way street), do you really want to work there? Job seekers, pay attention to how you're being treated during the interview process, more often than not t...

#MerryMonday  🎉 Today is my birthday and the start of a new decade (I'm Gen X so it's a BIG one). I have to say, a decade ago I didn't see myself where I currently am - looking for work and having metaphorical doors slammed in my face. I know I've faced age discrimination ("you're overqualified"), and I've lost opportunities because I haven't used Xero (please, I'm Gen X, I can learn any software). But the biggest issue is actually one I've brought on myself, I've set boundaries and they're non-negotiable. Maybe it's because I've spent my entire career being paid a salary for working 40 hours a week but actually working 50, 60, sometimes 70 hours a week. A quick calculation tells me I've worked over 15,000 unpaid hours in my career. That's the equivalent of working for over 7 years for free and you know what? I'm done doing that. Unfortunately that doesn't land well with recruiters, hiring managers and b...

Happy Friday 📰 Late last night, I received an email from a recruiter who had submitted my resume to one of her clients. The email was cryptic ("I'd like to talk to you tomorrow") so I replied with when I would be available to talk. She called this morning, apologizing for the short, ominous email but felt it was important to talk to me. The role is on hold because of an emergency with the client. Unfortunately there is no time frame for when the search will continue or even IF it will continue. I said I understood and thanked her for letting me know.  Truth be told, I would have absolutely been fine with an email (or text) telling me that but I appreciate this recruiter doing what so few are doing these days: calling me to explain that it's not me, just circumstances out of our control. I'm finishing the second of two jobs today and then I'm taking a well-deserved break - from work and the job search. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #R...

Happy Wednesday 📰  Sometimes something tells you to stay away from a company and you're not sure why. I've been seeing a local company continually advertise for some openings in accounting and while they all *looked* like jobs I'm more than qualified for and would excel at, something kept stopping me from applying. I couldn't put my finger on it, I just never could get myself to hit "submit"... Recently, I saw a post from someone I'm not directly connected with on LinkedIn but I used to work with. They work at the company that I keep seeing jobs for and it hit me like a ton of bricks - I've been being protected from having to deal with this person again and I didn't even know it. Listen to that small voice inside that tells you to stop, it knows something you don't. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Tuesday 📰  This morning I received a rejection email. The funny part is that it's for a job I applied to last year so I kind of figured that I hadn't been chosen to move forward 😂 I guess better late than never, right? #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Sunday 📰 This is one of the (many) problems with the job search today - I keep getting alerts for this job. Nothing in my background indicates that I am qualified to be a Secret Service Special Agent, nor have I ever applied to this type of job... If you're looking for a job right now, I feel your pain. I really do. #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Wednesday 📰 I had someone on another platform reach out to me 📨 about doing some bookkeeping 💻 for them. After a couple of messages 💬 back and forth, they asked if I would consider a trade of services 🤔 I get you have to shoot your shot 🏀 but really? Freelancers, have you had this proposition? Did you accept it? I'm not saying it's inherently bad but to me, the services need to be fairly equal in value for it to work. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles #KnowYourWorth

Happy Tuesday 📰  A former coworker reached out to me about his job search, asking "is it really this hard? What am I doing wrong?". I get it, it's frustrating. Between scam recruiters, ghost jobs, being expected to update your resume for every job you apply for (I personally don't do that), and being ghosted after an interview, the job search can be depressing. A lot of work with little reward. I don't have the answers but I know for me, it's important to set boundaries. Right now, I'm in the middle of a 12 day cat sitting job with a second 9 day job starting today, so I use the morning hours for my job search then I'll be done with it for the day. Of course, I'll check my email later in the afternoon to see if anything has come up but I won't actively be in job search mode then. It works for me. I job search in the morning, go to my cat sitting jobs in the early afternoon, then relax in the late afternoon/evening. Being *on* 24/7/365 is somet...

#MerryMonday 📰 Following Friday's disappointing news, the recruiter called me today to tell me she wanted to plead my case to the hiring manager (read previous post if you don't know what I'm referring to). I thanked her but told her it wasn't necessary. She pushed a little and I just told her the truth: I don't want anyone (myself included) to have to *convince* someone to take a chance on me. I've had 3 decades of full-cycle accounting experience, not to mention that I've also been responsible for HR at most of the places I've worked - any company would be lucky to hire me. If a hiring manager doubts my word or doubts my motives, I feel like I would always be having to prove myself to them. And you know what? That would be a toxic environment for me. Thanks but no thanks... Job seekers, it's ok to say no to an opportunity if it feels off. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLi...

I just got off the phone with a recruiter. While the outcome wasn't what I was hoping for, I am happy to get the closure. Earlier this week, I had a virtual interview with a recruiter placing an accounting role at a local company. The role is a lower level one that I was ok with being submitted for because I want a less stressful job. As long as a job will pay my bills, I'm ok with a lower salary (and I'm definitely ok with a less stressful workload and having a life outside of work). Apparently the hiring manager has her doubts about that and told the recruiter she was going to pass on interviewing me. The recruiter, true to her word, told me that she'd have an update for me by the end of the week and called late this afternoon to tell me. "I'm sorry" she said. "It's ok" I replied back. "I don't think I could work for someone who doubts what I'm saying, doubts my motives. Yes, I need regular income and that's why I'm ...

Happy Thursday 📰 I was on the phone📱with someone last week (which is rare, I'm not a phone person, never have been) and she was telling me about her job search (misery loves company I guess 😂) and how she had applied 📑 to almost 60 jobs in May and hadn't heard back from most of them. Of the few that she did hear back from, almost all were what she called "auto-rejections" ✖️ I let her vent because I know sometimes people need that but part of me wondered, did she apply thoughtfully to jobs she was actually qualified for? Or did she just apply to anything that she came across, thinking it's a numbers 🔢 game and hers has to come up eventually? I'm asking because I feel like to some job seekers, it's become a badge🎖of honor to rattle off the number of jobs they've applied to without any real context. Do you get a prize🏆for applying to the most jobs in a week/month/year? I recently saw a post where someone claimed to have applied to 7800 jobs in ...

Happy Wednesday 📰 I've been busy with cat 🐈 sitting jobs today and had another client request that I stop by later this afternoon. Not to check on the cats (the actual job starts Sunday), but because there *may* be some sort of leak ⚠️ at the apartment 🏘 and I'm the only local person with a key🔑 to let maintenance 🧰 in to check. His dad (who is briefly staying at the client's place) doesn't get into town until tomorrow and the client left this morning so I'm it. I'm happy to help, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the cats - I mean, they are the REAL clients 😹 Super nice (brand new!) client has offered to Zelle 📲 me money💲for my time 🧭 This is why I love cat sitting. No two days are the same and the clients really appreciate you. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance

#MerryMonday  📰 Over the weekend, I ran into someone who I hadn't seen in a while. She asked how the job search was going and I told her it was tough. She replied with, "Well, at least you have some time off and have an open schedule, that must be nice" 🏝 This is my schedule for June 🗓 I have 30 cat sitting appointments 🐈‍⬛ Not to mention a doctor's 🥼 appointment, a vet appointment for my foster cat 😺, a webinar 💻, a book club meeting 📖, and a couple of phone interviews📱 And in between all that, I'm actively looking for a job (full-time, part-time, freelance) 💼 Yeah, that open schedule is so nice 😂 Have a great week! May all of us looking for a job finally be rewarded 🥇 #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles