2012 Reflections - Part 2

This being "Part 2" of my reflection on the past year, obviously there was a "Part 1" which you can read here.

So, let's continue shall we?

Another goal I set for myself was to find full-time employment by year's end. Considering I started my search in the summer and then got really serious about it as soon as September hit, I thought this would be a no-brainer.

HA!

While in the past, seeking for and securing new jobs has been pretty easy for me, I figured I would apply to some jobs, get a few interviews and an offer or two would follow.

Needless to say, this did not happen this time around.

With the less than glowing economic landscape, finding a decent job today is a lot harder than...well...pie.

Ahhhh...no.

It is more complicated...kind of like...well...pi.

Yeah...more like this.

I got a few bites (not of pie), a few "you are over-qualified"s, a few "impressive, but not quite what we are looking for"s and even an interview for a really lucrative position that went really well but alas, went to the person I was competing with.

Probably some young guy with no kids.
Just a guess.

I was getting really, really, really frustrated!

I couldn't seem to buy a vowel, much less and interview!

Hello? Employers?
Where are ya?!??

But long story not as long as it could be...I secured a job offer which I accepted on Christmas Eve!

How is THAT for cutting it close to my goal date?

Yay!!!

I am not going to get into what the job is all about in this post...but I will say that it is totally different than what I thought I would end up with and not related to what I have done in the past.

It is considerably more junior a position than what I have been doing for the past 15 years and the pay is almost exactly half of what I was making at my last full-time job a couple of years ago.

But another thing I have discovered upon my reflection of the past year is that sometimes you need to take the road less travelled.

Sometimes good things come in small or oddly shaped packages.

Sometimes if something inside of you is telling you to try something new, maybe...just maybe...you should listen.

And so I did.

And I am.

I am at a certain point in my life when my priorities are different than they were even a few, short years ago.  I have three little boys - including a toddler - and an active family schedule.

Money and job titles and fancy business trips and evening work events may be more my thing in years to come...but at the moment, I need a certain balance between work and home.

I want to do both well.

Not perfect...but good enough.

If I am too entrenched in either home or work and not enough in the other, than I might as well cut myself in half because being pulled too hard in two different directions hurts.

It hurts really bad.

And so...I'm trying something new for a new year.

Let's see how it goes!

Smiles,

Lora