Small town blues...
I am starting to remember why I was so desperate to leave the small town behind when I graduated from High School. I have been interviewing for the past two weeks, and although I believe I make an excellent candidate, apparantly I'm not doing something right. Today in an interview I got asked if I have strong filing skills... I worked with National Security, NATIONAL SECURITY! And you want to know if I have strong FILING skills? Hello? You practically have to be an expert at paperwork just for showing up in the military, because lord knows, they can't keep track of your paperwork and you have to continually prove that you are/have/have done what you say you are/have/have done. And in all actuality, I did have a job nailed a few weeks back. The problem was I didn't have a strong answer when they asked how long I'm going to be in town.. little did I know, this is an illegal question, but everyone in town has been asking it. (My mother explained that if hired, asking about how long you will be around is akin to a verbal contract if they agree/imply that you will have a job during that time frame.) Originally when asked the question, I answered honestly.. depends on where my husband wants to go after finishing flight school... which still gives me about 2 years. Apparantly that's just not long enough for people around here. Well, I talk to my hubby and low and behold, if he works here longer, say 5 years, he's more marketable to bigger companies (more hours of flight, more money/easier transfer.) So, looks like we'll be here closer to 7 years. I hate it here. Well, ok.. it's home for me and I don't hate it, but sometimes I think the people here are so narrow. I'm half tempted to start wearing a CTR ring to my interviews. For those of you that don't know, CTR = Choose The Right, the Mormon version of WWJD = What Would Jesus Do (for Christians). Of course, this would feel like really selling myself to that Devil I don't believe in, but you wouldn't believe the nepatism that goes on around here. Small, small, small! But don't get me wrong, I actually like small towns, what I hate is small minds. There is a very big difference. Most people don't even know what to make of my resume or the steller things that I did while in and around the military, it's exceedingly frustrating.
On the plus side, with the one job I could have gotten, they said that if I decided to stay longer that they would have a place for me. I think I'll send a note their way and say, "hey, I talked to my husband, things changed." I just hate questions like "what are your long term goals?" or "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I don't.. life doesn't allow that. Well, my life doesn't.
I have a theory.. there are dreamers and there are visionaries. Visionaries are those people that set goals, whether lofty or realistic and make them happen with a single mindedness. They also make them happen within a reasonable time frame (and usually have the money or way to find investors to make it happen.) Dreamers think of wonderful things that can and will happen, but it is just somewhere in the future because they are too busy dealing with real life. Another aspect of that is that fate/life/karma/whatever is too busy dragging them around, and those goals just get pushed aside till there's time. Unfortunately, I'm a dreamer. Life has plans for me that are not always what I have in mind, and I deal with them as they come. Just look at me, I've had more change, more heartache, more promises broken in 3 years than most people face in a lifetime, and I haven't broken down, gone insane, committed suicide, become a drunk or any of those other unhealthy behaviors. I've just buckled down and dealt with it all, and pressed forward so that we can get through it and achieve that eventual goal of financial security and a great job. Really lofty goal, huh? A great job. Around here that's almost it's own private joke. Females aren't expected to be the soul provider and are literally paid less than men across the board. The state also voted this past year to raise the minimum wage, they decided to stick with $5.35 until the nation raises it to $7.25 (or whatever it was). It's just pathetic. I know I'm worth at least $14.00/hr, they hire receptionists/secretaries at $8.00/hr around here, and also expect them to have a bachelor's degree. What the hell? I got to four years of college, learn/know how to do research, learn all these great skills and you want to pay me $8.00/hr??? What am I, a whore? Foreign? and Illegal??? I have more motivation and skills than any three people walking and I just don't know how to tell people that. Oh, one other thing I've well, not discovered, I knew, but maybe should use is that I'm a terrible salesperson. That's the only thing that is really wrong with me.. maybe somewhere in all this I'm just selling myself short. I think I'm giving the right answers, but obviously not.
On the plus side, with the one job I could have gotten, they said that if I decided to stay longer that they would have a place for me. I think I'll send a note their way and say, "hey, I talked to my husband, things changed." I just hate questions like "what are your long term goals?" or "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I don't.. life doesn't allow that. Well, my life doesn't.
I have a theory.. there are dreamers and there are visionaries. Visionaries are those people that set goals, whether lofty or realistic and make them happen with a single mindedness. They also make them happen within a reasonable time frame (and usually have the money or way to find investors to make it happen.) Dreamers think of wonderful things that can and will happen, but it is just somewhere in the future because they are too busy dealing with real life. Another aspect of that is that fate/life/karma/whatever is too busy dragging them around, and those goals just get pushed aside till there's time. Unfortunately, I'm a dreamer. Life has plans for me that are not always what I have in mind, and I deal with them as they come. Just look at me, I've had more change, more heartache, more promises broken in 3 years than most people face in a lifetime, and I haven't broken down, gone insane, committed suicide, become a drunk or any of those other unhealthy behaviors. I've just buckled down and dealt with it all, and pressed forward so that we can get through it and achieve that eventual goal of financial security and a great job. Really lofty goal, huh? A great job. Around here that's almost it's own private joke. Females aren't expected to be the soul provider and are literally paid less than men across the board. The state also voted this past year to raise the minimum wage, they decided to stick with $5.35 until the nation raises it to $7.25 (or whatever it was). It's just pathetic. I know I'm worth at least $14.00/hr, they hire receptionists/secretaries at $8.00/hr around here, and also expect them to have a bachelor's degree. What the hell? I got to four years of college, learn/know how to do research, learn all these great skills and you want to pay me $8.00/hr??? What am I, a whore? Foreign? and Illegal??? I have more motivation and skills than any three people walking and I just don't know how to tell people that. Oh, one other thing I've well, not discovered, I knew, but maybe should use is that I'm a terrible salesperson. That's the only thing that is really wrong with me.. maybe somewhere in all this I'm just selling myself short. I think I'm giving the right answers, but obviously not.