The Magical Job Cauldron

As many of you know, Dave and I are planning to move back to the Northeast within the next few months. That's our goal, but we are reluctant to move without jobs (or one job) lined up. We are both hitting the hunt hard, networking our tails off from across the country, and I've redesigned my web site and developed some promotional material to shop around.

The last time I looked for a job was 2006, when the market was a bit more robust. It took me six months. Granted, I was trying to get into urban planning, a field that I had no experience in, and again, from across the country. I hustled my little butt off until I found one company that thought I had some chops and promise, and I've worked for them, happily, ever since.

I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but today's job market is fierce. I might even say it blows. By one report, at least five equally qualified candidates apply for every job listed. So my strategy is to proactively pursue like-minded companies, regardless of open positions advertised, in the hopes that they'll remember me when a job pops up. Crafting sincere and informed cover letters, tweaking my resume, and researching each firm takes a decent amount of time. And waiting for a response (or no response) can be agonizing.

So to counter the time consuming, dogged process, I've immersed myself in the fantasy world of Harry Potter! Yes, I know I'm about 12 years late to the party, but I finally decided to jump on the Hogwarts Express. I've flown through the first two books and am onto the third.

In my fantasy my job hunt is magical. Potential employers hang up on me when I call to follow up? Let me tap my wand and make them burp ladybugs. Professional contacts dump my qualifications in the recycle bin? Let me add some unicorn fur to my cauldron and turn the contents of that bin into slimy sludge. Actually for every three people who don't respond there is someone who answers their phone or pushes my resume through. And for them I am forever grateful. I'll let them borrow my invisibility cloak or time travel cloak, whichever they prefer.