Putting Yourself Out There

Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there.  Yesterday I attended a nonprofit career fair at a local university.  It was an opportunity to network, assess potential employment, volunteer, and internship opportunities.  In the past I have not always been a fan of the career fair, especially in my field.  There is always a mix of providers that may not fit what you're specifically looking for, or providers that are trying to solicit their services to train, enhance, and support other organizations.  So, you are going to a career fair to potentially find an employment opportunity and there are many providers there that are trying to find their own opportunities?  Regardless, I feel it was a good opportunity to put myself out there.  You see I am attempting to switch from the public sector to the nonprofit sector.  This in itself is a challenge, magnified by the times we face as a nation under the scope of just trying to get through this financial mess that was created by our own doing (not mine or yours but you get what I am referring to).  http://www.nonprofitjobscoop.org/17793

I am excited about the opportunity to educate myself and navigate through a arena that I know a little about.  I am excited about the opportunity to create and define what my interests are, and what my employment role may look like.  I am excited to share with others "here is my passion, my skills, my experience helping others, you think I have opportunity out there?"  So, never under estimate how direction and identification of a goal can be a true motivator to open the door to potential opportunities.  Often, it helps to be patient on the journey, to take the time to really understand what it is your looking for no matter where or when you begin the process.  So, if anybody out there can relate, or if your stuck in a world where you see no way out, understand there is always a way out, you just have to ask yourself, are you prepared to do the work and put yourself out there?

Been Too Long

Writing is such a wonderful opportunity to release and thus reflect.  I lost sight of this opportunity over the last several weeks, so now it is time to get back to it.  Was it because I had a firm grasp on where I was? Where I wanted to go? Or simply just me being unmotivated or uninspired to write.  Today was a 50/50 day, some good, some bad, so I now find myself with a need to write about it, just write... It is hard to believe that it has been almost 2 years since I have been employed.  So much has transpired since I resigned from my last place of employment.  However, as much good that has transpired from that move to leave, I find myself questioning what the next chapter will look like.  I understand that I must be patient as the current opportunities for employment are difficult to obtain due to the state of the economy, but is it really just that in itself?  This is the part that gets me twisted at times as I attempt to figure out what honestly can not be.  For example, is it a matter of qualifications or experience?  Is it the gap in time since my last employment?  The name on the page? The university that puts me in a different class, although I don't remember being asked to be.  http://sowkweb.usc.edu/index.php

See, there I go again being a little hard on myself, but I guess it is somewhat of a natural process based on the time that I have been off, and the efforts I have made to find and land another employment opportunity.
I keep telling myself that when the work is ready for me, I will be ready for the work and that really is the approach that I have maintained.  However, today is one of those days (far and few) that has me down a little, trying to figure out the when, why, and how...  I must go through this so that I can pause, reflect, understand, and thus take action.  Will there be an employment opportunity down the road that will lead to many wonderful opportunities, absolutely!  Will I continue to go through the process of the 50/50  days absolutely! Will I get through it absolutely!  So, this is where I am at clear as can be with no misunderstanding, it just is what it is.  Until we meet again as always breathe well.