The same exact scenario happened to me as well, about two weeks ago. I had two interviews, that both went very well, with a great district. Although it was only for a long-term sub position, I had a 50% chance of getting one of two openings. There were originally 8 interviewed; then four of us asked back. So two people ended up with a job, and two did not.

Obviously, I was one of the two who didn’t get the job. They told me they would give me their decision as soon as the day after OR, sometime after the 4th of July holiday. That’s a bit ambiguous of a timeline. Once vacation time settled by, I began to panic. I made calls to other districts to “check upon the status of the position,” but I just couldn’t bring myself to hear the news for the district I really wanted a job with. I finally called….no one called back. Three days later I called again, leaving msgs with the middle school and the district office. God bless, a sweet woman who had just started in the district office told me she would find out. She did, but only to tell me a letter would be mailed either way. I had already been searching the mailbox up to that point, and ironically enough, the rejection letter came that very day. I was so crushed. I had a pity party too.

The pity party unfortunately carried on. Since then, the status of jobs I applied to in WNY have only revealed bad news for me. I filed for unemployment, finally. I also accepted the fact that I will have to most likely move away from my family, yet again, to stay in the field that I love.

The past two weeks have been pretty depressing. Last week was just plain ugly. I don’t think Ive ever felt that crappy in my life. I had to get ok with preparing myself to relocate again. Interestingly enough, a middle school counseling position opened up in NYS, @ 6 hours from here. It needs to be filled immediately. It’s also in an area that I am actually excited about!

Here is what I learned: even if that job doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter bc seeing that posting, gave me something very valuable. HOPE.

For everyone else out there searching, don’t give up your passion. Keep searching. Know that if an interview didn’t work out, or if you weren’t considered for an interview that you thought you would definitely get (this happened to me as well this seaason), that means that there is a MUCH better fit for you out there. And you will find it. It may require that you step out of your comfort zone, but there will be a meaningful purpose in it happening…just for you.

Thank you to whomever you are for running this site, and sharing your job searching adventures! It allows readers (at least it does for me!) an anonymous outlet to share and identify with. I think all of us who are in this boat should get together and write a book of these stories!

Good luck to us all…..!! )

This is fallacy. One should assume that all pictures taken in public places will eventually find their way onto Facebook. All stories of wrath and discontent will eventually surface on blogs. The web merely captures what we already do, so trying to contain the spread of your true self is fruitless.

Be yourself online. Anyone who won’t hire you because of who you truly are is someone you do not want to work for in the first place.

Read my full post on this topic from last year:

http://www.robbyslaughter.com/blog/?2008-09-26

@robbyslaughter