If you are married, do you remember dating?

If you are single, have you tried online dating? Well, job hunting is similar because it is a numbers game. Like love, like work, it can feel like it comes down to luck.

Some have said, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."

There is the preparing portion. You go to school, join clubs, all in hopes of filling out that perfect resume. You format, have your bestest proofread, and finally take a deep breath as you attend your first of many career fairs.

Side Note:
In college the career fair was held at the local state college. Doritos would have a booth and half the fun was making rounds to see how many bags of chips and jars of dip you could grab before the event ended.

I went to business school

In a nutshell, elevator pitching, firm handshakes, and faking it until you made it was the name of the game. The amount of hours preparing for these events was the direct result of how many calls you received after the career fair.

If you are anything like me, you probably struggled in this business-dating world.

Either, your resume was fine which earned you an interview, but the job paid to low. On the other hand, you may find the pay to be good, but amount of experienced required is unrealistic. Worst case scenario, the pay is good, the qualifications are reasonable, but you don’t make it past the first round. Until one day, it happens, you’re hired!

The first few days are the best. Learning is overwhelming, you arrive early and leave late, you study all night and put in everything you have. Your first promotion is a party, your second and third within two years are honorable mentions. Your family is proud, your school debt is paid, and before you know it you are changing careers to achieve work-life balance. Since you’re dating your job full-time, real-life relationships take a back seat.

Side Note:

Don't miss a loved one’s wedding because of work, don't miss out on birthday parties, don't miss out on taking a trip because after time passes those memories are the only ones that made working that job worth it.

You’re on to your second career. The benefits are amazing because paying that health insurance is no joke. The pay and hours are a dream-come-true and you now have this surplus you refer to as your saving/investing/do whatever I want money to brag about. After the honeymoon phase of dating ends, the struggle begins, and getting bought out becomes a new reality for you. This new normal goes on for a while. Let’s fast forward to almost four years. The sudden realization that so much time has passed without a break and suddenly you find yourself unemployed.

Back to the drawing board.

Revise your resume and cover letter. Apply, follow up, repeat day after day after day.

Did I mention after one too many days?!

The anxiety is building with each passing day. Upload your resume on every job search site, call/email all your recruiting friends, and even get your gym buddies to ask around for you. Job hunting is the WORST! You become so hopeful with each phone interview, with each interview, and that heartbreaking moment when they email you back and start it with unfortunately....

The search continues and the cycle does not end with each rejection, but begins with each hopeful phone call. I am going to find an amazing job. Until then, tell me about your career. How did you find it—or did it find you?!