Skins.

Not too long ago Sam my roommate and I were passing the time playing video games and skyping with a friend. We let him know about our current situation and upcoming projects and took a few laps around memory lane. Blah, blah, fast forward to a conversation we had with an international friend who lets us know about a series called Skins. I’m working my way through the first season but the show quickly leaves an impression. Essentially it’s a teen drama but it’s much more realistic than what I’m used to while at the same time being pretty zany.

It’s funny that in the same conversation we spoke about how recent shows have either a greater ability to trigger an emotional response or we put more thought into what we watch (co-author a meaning) and thus have more of an ability to make an emotional connecting to a character. We tossed a few show names around and I basically told our buddy that he was just a weirdo and the shows he was watching were crap. This TV show however, really does a great job at making you feel something for its characters and something on a personal level.

Worries, and to Worry.

Worries are like a cancer for your thoughts. One small worry can fester while you attempt to ignore it. It can fracture off and spread to other thoughts. Your worries can grow and multiply while you try your damnedest to tune them out. The fecundity of your own imagination is subverted to spread anxiety into all aspects of your life.

The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.
- Robert Frost

It’s been happening to me. I’ve let one small thing linger long enough to let a bit of doubt develop. The spread was inevitable and now I can’t take solace in anything that used to comfort me. I’ve let worries taint my contentment.

Now, it’s time to cure myself. My fears are like ghosts I’ve turned into monsters. By rationalizing and understanding each one I might be able to find some use for them. Instead of worrying about money I can stop and find a way to become more financially secure. Worrying about my family has no effect on them while a simple visit would let them and myself know we’re fine. In turn I’ll diagnose and cure each worry. With a bit of work I’ll be able to rebuild my peace of mind. The one I used to have though is gone.

Sales.

Recently I started working as a salesman in the large appliances department. I’ve been selling refurbished and used computers for a while but when the opportunity to sell in a new environment came up I’d be foolish not to jump at the chance. So far my sales have been between people I already had a relationship with or at the very least a rapport. Being given the opportunity to work with a fresh customer would present a new challenge. However the experience is not only invigorating, it’s also a commodity.

The Recent Moonfruit Campaign.

If you’re on Twitter no doubt you’ve seen a flood of #moonfruit hashtags. The result of Moonfruit’s recent MacBook Pro Giveaway where an entry was simply adding the hashtag to your tweets. As far as creative marketing goes, this it ain’t. Although it has been effective at getting the Moonfruit name out there. It’s my opinion though that it’s gotten a lot of publicity at some cost. People may be shoving the name out there but they’re turning the contest into a distributed spam campaign. Even the creative entries are completely apart from the what the business does. Most of the entries are based on nothing but the words moon and fruit, I doubt how many people are aware that Moonfruit is a web hosting company.

Normally I’m in favor of new marketing techniques and I’ve seen firsthand the power of viral marketing. This however got really old, really fast. In fact Moonfruit suspended the 10 day campaign to just 7, most likely due to the backlash from the Twitterverse. I still see Twitter as an important new marketing tool. Campaigns like this however, just feel wrong. We’ll have to wait and see how successful the results are.

Community of job seekers.

One of the most helpful things in my job search has been having peers going through exactly the same situation. Whether you’re trying to start a new workout routine or studying for an exam it’s easier with a buddy. If you have friends working in the same industry you can share leads and interview experiences. Otherwise there’s still that camaraderie that develops between people trying to reach the same goal.

Cynics will say that you should stay competitive and supporting someone else would only hurt your chances. That may be true if you and a friend are vying for the same position but you may lose that friend. Even if it’s not a friend you still would lose a network connection. While you may win over in the short term you could garner a negative reputation. You have to remember that it’s about more than just getting hired. There are implicit benefits in being remembered as cooperative and supportive as well as explicit benefits in having contacts that may have been hired before or after you were.

The cultural prerogative of individual accomplishments has to fall a far second to the benefits of a healthy social network within work culture. If nothing else it’s helpful to have outside opinions and experiences to put your own into perspective.

Employment Optimism.

As difficult as finding a job is in this economy, it’s even harder to stay optimistic about searching. It’s too easy to fall into a rut where all you do is send out countless resumes, applications, and cover letters but hold no real hope. Instead of anticipation, you assure yourself you won’t get a call back. Sure, some people say it’s better to not expect anything and never be disappointed. I feel it does you a disservice.

Applying for a job should be more than just offering up information. You should become personally invested and attempt to convey yourself as a person who isn’t just interested in getting a job but getting this job. Your cover letter should be more than topical research in the position. It should reflect your drive and aspirations and your resume reflects how prepared you are to undertake this opportunity. None of this is possible if you don’t genuinely feel you have a chance of being hired. It does take extra effort and when there is no response it’s harder to shrug it off. Yet, it should help you become more devoted.

It’s helped me to keep my spirits high while searching. Every new listing gives me a chance to evaluate my goals against reality and plan the next bit of my life. I feel it’s time and energy well spent. You can’t go into a fight thinking you’re going to lose.