Jul 22, 2009
I’m not ungrateful, just goal-oriented
A few weeks ago, I said that the time and money that I spent job hunting in San Francisco was a waste. Believe me, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done all that traveling. I spent hundreds of dollars, and I have nothing to show for it. I wasted my time and money.
My friend, who overheard me, was aghast. How dare I say that!?! She said I was being ungrateful. I met some really cool people, I learned BART, I made some professional contacts that will be handy in the future. How could my time have been a waste, when I got to experience all that good stuff came out of it?
Well, I said. My trip out West was purposeful. It was all about getting a job. I went on 4 interviews with 3 organizations. And I came home empty-handed. So yeah, a waste.
But what about the experience, my friend implores. I got to do a lot of cool stuff! The travel, the time spent in a really cool city hanging out with the locals going to the really cool restaurants. I got to do something few other people get to do. My friend said I was looking at the experience too narrowly.
My friend was right. I’ve (mostly) had a great time in San Francisco.
But I wasn’t wrong. I went to California with a goal in mind; I expected FULLY to get a job out of the deal. But in this case, I came home without meeting my goal. Were my expectations too high? Should I be satisfied having the experience? Or should I continue to focus on meeting my goal?
I’m not satisfied with JUST having the experience. Is Hillary satisfied that she had the experience of running for president? I think not. I’m sure it will help her in the long run, but RIGHT NOW I doubt that she’s jumping for joy. What about all the American Idol hopefuls, or the Miss America runner-ups or the teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl. Do you believe them when they give their farewell speech and say that they are happy to have the experience? Yeah, I get that they are happy for the experience, but they came to win, right? And it sucks to get [thisclose] and then fail to meet your goal.
I came to win. And while I enjoyed my time in San Francisco, I didn’t win. And when it comes to looking for a job, coming in second doesn’t get you paid.
I am wit ya, I understand where your friend was getting at, but that is easy for folks to say when they weren’t in your shoes, you are smart enough to know what you gained but it is okay to acknowledge what was lost or wasted…
@Naturally Alise: Nice Picture, girlie! Long time, no see. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
[...] like days later, I’m poor again. I know that this is partly because I spend all my saving in San Francisco, and partly because I was unemployed for almost three months, but those aren’t the only [...]