I’ve been in Saint Louis for a little over two years and have found myself unemployed twice – the first time, unwillingly due to a layoff; the second time, willingly due to a bad fit. I took a huge chance by leaving my last job and I’ve gone through some tough times since I made that decision. Initially, I was ecstatic to have taken a stand for my own peace of mind but the cost of that stand almost also destroyed my piece of mind. Just when I was starting to doubt myself and the decision, a wonderful opportunity came along. In many ways, it is exactly what I need for where I am now.
During this job search, I’ve gone on interviews where I felt as if we both were thinking “who the hell is this?!” I even went on two separate interviews where the interviewers asked me pointedly personal questions about how I felt about the bad times that I’ve had since I’ve been in Saint Louis. I have done and continue to do a lot of soul-searching about the chain of events that have occurred since I’ve been here, however, I don’t think I want any job so bad that I’m willing to bare my soul in order to be considered for it. Just as asking a person’s age or if they have children during an interview is considered to be inappropriate, so too is asking a personal question of that magnitude. Don’t get me wrong, if asked out of concern, I will answer a personal question. However, neither of these instances were examples of people asking out of sheer concern. I once was accused of maybe having too much pride but I don’t think it is too much pride but a certain level of dignity I prefer to maintain.
However, those incidents are in the past and I have a wonderful future to look forward to at my upcoming job. For just a moment I needed to vent, now I’m going to keep it moving.