The Job Hunt - Rant and rave if you must

Some have done it seldom and others, all too often. This search is tied up with happiness which  is the quest to be paid more, better work-life balance, greater sense of achievement or, all of the above. 

The part everyone can contribute to is giving advice. Do this, not that, try X, depends on how you approach it, tweak your approach, speak to him/her, go to that event, avoid this agency. etc.  How often and frequent you might hear this advice, varies. I'm open to suggestion but sometimes advice I get is NOT useful. I hoped for a breakthrough but all I got was the same hash, just from a different source.

However, that is normal. There is no Einstein when it comes to the job search. We are subject to the game of numbers, lucky or not, timing, our efforts and drive to be chosen and where and how, play a part in this.

And during these tough times we argue with ourselves, contemplate and perhaps even determine that the search is skewed, we should just concentrate on other things. Everyone feels like giving up. And sometimes if you want to take a breather and step back, that's OK.

Finding work is work. Staying positive through rejection is being strong. Don't get despondent. Pursue other activities - dance, sing, do something silly, venture on the crazy side !

I started to write this entry when I was feeling down and rejected. Things have turned around. Just as the season is warming up and the trees are getting their colour back so has my energy and enthusiasm gone from nothing in the tank, to let's gun this mother******!

Labels and Tags

What is that thing we first notice about a person we meet for the first time? The way they look, how they dress, their hair style and maybe makeup. These things help us put together an idea of who the person is, albeit a momentary one that can change based on actions and further impressions created by their attitudes, way of speech etc. 

I liked how Trevor Noah made an observation about this in his standup show. He said when someone has an accent, it's a native speaker perceiving how a foreigner handles their language. And that gives people the opportunity to think that a person with an accent is less polished, a newbie, like a fish out of water trying to fit in. if the accented person loses his or her accent then that label will change too. It's what we want to naturally assume when we hear a French accent or a Russian accent, those perceptions have been shaped by pop culture hence the common expectation.

What other labels do we give people we encounter? You meet someone who drives a truck. You might guess his hobbies are drinking beer,watching sports, maybe likes action movies. Because if someone is a truck driver for a living we assume they may not be very smart, lack a post graduate degree and have little to no interest in fine art or literature. That's rather unfair don't you think ? I can pinpoint segments of society with specific ethnic profiles whits' the passion they need to harbour o assume a truck driver is a lowly profession and such a person is a mismatch for someone who isn't. It's based on the background of the people who judge and when you face the reality, no one needs to attend university to drive a truck. But they can still be smart and sharp minded just not keen on the professions that apparently you need a degree to do. But no well to do family I know, would say they are proud of their child going into such a profession but perceptions can change if the individual can make a good case for it. 

Imagine dating profiles and how professions affect a person's chances, according to Fortune.com, pilots get the most swipes, then come lawyers, doctors and firefighters. A little too superficial? Sure. But then again this is Tinder. This age is about making impressions based on what we see and read. A quick minute is all it takes to build up what we think we need to know about a person we just met and that might shape our desires regarding how we interact with that person going forward.

I would like to remind myself that it's not fair to judge someone based on a few interests or preconceived notions that arise based on what they say or do. In personal interactions we often focus on shared interests and ability to have a conversation about them. I seem to make conversation with most individuals regardless of background or interest, as I am quite intrigued by many things. However, its possible how they perceive me is not as favourable. It's a sign of our times. Perhaps made worse by the quick attention spans we now have thanks to social media feeds, snapchats that last 10 seconds and other short lived media constantly asking for attention but not getting the attention it deserves. 

Fashion Review for Spring

As one would expect the weather is getting warmer and even though we are currently in a nasty cold spell, a month and half from now it should be much nicer. Mother Nature I know you had to remind us that winter is supposed to be like this but I think we get the message. 

Any visit to the mall will tell you the retailers are not on the same page. I've been to Suzy, Simons, Aritzia, Dynamite, Garage, Urban Planet and most recently Bluenotes( yes. I still shop there!). The style trend that is really universal this season? Peasant, off shoulder tops. They are frilly, flirty and fun. Flatter most body types and let your shoulders shine (don't droop). I got totally mesmerized by the look the moment I saw it on a mannequin.

After what seemed like hours on ASOS and Express; I finally decided to buy myself one from boohoo.com, another fashion, forward reasonably priced outlet that ships from the UK. My only dilemma? Will it fit? I'm usually off by a bit so here's hoping I don't regret this one. For those who are uninitiated on what a peasant top / off shoulder is:

Considering self worth

Book review: The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

I have been reading Neil Pasricha's The Happiness Equation. This is the first book I picked up written by him , it was my instructor at Humber that informed me of this writer and his work.

It was a good read.  Funny, endearing, and quirky. It was in many parts motivational, in some parts, sentimental and mostly just no judgement "here is what it is and what you should do", sort of spiel. Not really preachy(I hate that) but then again it felt like someone who I might have known telling me how they deal. It seems mostly logical and self evident but what he did that we don't usually do is articulate it so you understand what is happening.

I'm not much for self help books and  I don't want to call this one that either. Its motivational and somewhat empowering and if you are in the mood to pick up a book that is just a conversation about you and your best self, then this is the book for you. But there may be better ones out there so don't hold it against me if you didn't like it or expected too much.

I have not read his blog "1000 Awesome Things" and may browse through it for fun but he seems to have been at the right place at the right time for something so simple to become so sensational.

My rating would be 7/10 just for being that sort of forthright exposition on self awareness and being your best possible self. He literally took the words right out of my mind.