Entrepreneurship, Engage!

Ever since I was in high school, I’ve wanted to run my own business. I’ve always enjoyed the thought of doing something that I loved as a means for making my way through life. The hardest part though, was trying to find that one thing that I loved, that I could do for the rest of my life.  I have a wide variety of interests, hobbies, and talents that I feel I excel in, however, I’d never seen any of them as career direction. Writing is probably the closest, but I haven’t made that leap to finish my first novel…yet.

So ever since high school, I’ve been milling about, wandering across the career landscape, trying to find that one thing that I was good at that I could dedicate my life to. There were a few paths I went down that seemed to be right at the time, but I would always end up in the same place, listless and curious about what else was out there for me.

About 8 months ago I started to do some freelance work for a few friends. I didn’t receive any payment, and was not particularly skilled in this work, but I knew what I was doing and did a pretty darn good job with it. I enjoyed the learning process and developing myself. Eventually, this free lance work got me referrals with others who were willing to pay for my services. I started to develop my skill set and knowledge in the industry exponentially. I started to become a resident expert in the industry in my own community and beyond. I was really having fun.

About 3 months ago, I made the decision to become official and run this business on the side of my normal day job. Lots of people run a side business, I figured this would be a great direction. I secured a few more small projects and felt this was definitely the right way to go. Because of my notoriety in the industry, I had little difficulty networking, finding support, and building my client list.

But when everything fell apart this year, I figured I was done. I couldn’t build a business with a community turning its back on me. I still had a few potential client meetings, but I figured they would fall through soon enough as soon as word of everything.

But I was surprised to find out that these meetings were still a go. So when they arrived, I went and pitched as if nothing was wrong. And again, to my surprise, I closed these projects! I was flying high off the momentum! And if things couldn’t get better, just this past week, I closed a very big project that I was working on for several months! The small projects were nice to get, but by winning the bid with the large project, I felt I was suddenly a legitimate business!  And another upside is that if I decide that I need to move out of this community, I can carry this business with me.

So things are looking up on the career front. I am still looking for another day job while I continue to build this business, but this is a big victory and makes me feel like anything is possible!

Some Light on the Path

I was just met with some good news on the career path. Although Finding a Job was my priority, Finding a Career is still a very big part of my journey. I’ve been researching and applying to a lot positions that are not jobs, but are futures. Places of employment that allow me to actually use my breadth of knowledge and experience in a creative and fulfilling environment. Where the promise of a paycheque is not even part of the reward I feel by being a contributing part of a organization. I’ve interviewed a few times now as well, and been pretty close to a few different career restarters, however, word of my actions has made this very difficult as I don’t have very impressive references anymore and news of my past actions has gotten back to hiring managers a few times and job offers have been revoked as a result.

Because of this, I’ve extended my search to outside of this community, and for a time, I’ve been met with even more rejection and disappointment. But I have not given up and have stayed focused on applying for positions that will help to positively define me years from now.

My most recent news is that I have reached the final stages for a very interesting position. After missing my initial interview because I didn’t have the money to travel to the location, followed by a mediocre telephone interview on my part, this organization has offered me the opportunity to prepare and present a case to them next week. The case obviously simulates the working conditions of the position I’ve applied for and will determine whether I am a good fit with this organization. I am excited because I know I will do well with this task. Although I don’t like to put too much hope in to things like this too quickly, I have a really good feeling about this new opportunity.

A Job Is Found

Today is cause for some celebration. I have been able to find full time employment and can now start moving forward again with my plans. Although I am still interviewing for a few other jobs that have “career” potential, I can now relax a bit knowing that I’ve found an income producing job. The position itself is in hospitality, which is just fine with me. I am a very hard worker and there is always something to do in this kind of work environment. I might even enjoy  myself with this job. This is by no means a time for me to get comfortable and stop looking forward though. I need to remind myself that this job is nothing but temporary while I put things back together. It will feel good to be working again though. To be able to start contributing again.

The Search Continues

Searching for employment is a very humbling experience. It is fraught with vulnerability and rejection. I have put myself out on the line countless times and have shared everything I can about me. I’ve read books, articles, blogs, whatever I can find on ways to improve my chances of finding employment. I’ve been fortunate to find myself in a few different interviews at this time, but none have bore the fruit of a job. I know that there is a job out there for me and I will be working soon. I don’t care anymore what I am doing to earn money at this time, I just know that if I am to continue this journey, I need to start making money. I’ve applied for every type of job imaginable, including “worm harvester” and “ranch hand”. I have no more stipulations on what job I want. I just want a job.

Finding a Job, Any Job

I have faced a lot of challenges this year as I come to terms with my actions and consequences. One that I was not expecting was losing my job at the beginning of the year. At the time it seemed like stable employment that had some room for me to develop. However, due to poor performance on my part, my employers found it best if we were to part ways. I don’t blame them for the decision, I can honestly say that my heart wasn’t into the work I was outputting and I was actually already looking for something new. However, the timing was very poor. At a time where I needed regular income to achieve my goals, I was suddenly thrust into unemployment, and this compounded all of my problems.

For a few weeks, I enjoyed the time off and spent more time looking for a career that better suited my skills and abilities. As time went on, I became increasingly frustrated at the job market and the lack of available positions that suited my experience and passion. My financial situation became more dire and I began loosening my stipulations on what positions I would apply for. Eventually, I started applying for anything that I could find.

I have been desperately seeking employment now for over a month and have discovered that I am in a very unique and difficult employment vortex. I am under qualified for a lot of of the jobs I want and feel I would thrive in, and I am overqualified for a lot of the jobs that I’ve applied for because of necessity. I am unemployable. In economics terms, this is known as Frictional Unemployment. There are jobs out there, and I am willing to work, but there is such a mismatch between my skills and what is being looked for that I simply cannot find a job.

In order to move forward with my plans to once again become a man, I must find employment. I need regular income coming in if I want to achieve anything on my list. I am continuing to search and will hopefully come up with something, anything. I’ve never had such difficulty in finding employment and have realized that I need to improve my skills and experience if I want to eventually be a man again. When I’ve found stability, I must consider the option of continuing my education and and finding designations or certifications to make myself more employable.