This caller wanted to be sure that other job seekers didn’t make the same mistakes he did so he shared his story…

“I’d been looking for work for several months, first staying local, then extending my search well beyond the Triad, all in an effort to snag something, anything that would work. I had just about run out of hope when I got a call, then another, one interview, two interviews, two companies then three! They were coming out of the woodwork and they were all coming after me. Each one sounded more earnest and interested than the other, and all I had to do was sit back, get those offers, choose the one I liked most, and hello, Gravy Train. Three companies, all knocking on my door.

I can’t begin to describe my relief or the resurgence of my self-confidence. I hadn’t felt this good since getting three offer letters from college.

I needed a break, a well-deserved vacation. So I kicked back for several days and popped some beers, caught some rays, hung out at my favorite bars, shot pool, went to bed late and got up later. Ahhhh, such freedom..

Many, many beers, and a very long trip to the beach later and it dawned on me that I had never received any of those offer letters. How could I have spaced like that? I knew I needed to call the employers to find out what was going on but I couldn’t make myself do it. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. By my bleary calculation, it had been six weeks since those interviews, those heady, euphoric interviews and I knew, just as I knew that day turned into night, I was never going to hear anything more from those companies.

Before you tell me I was robbed and poor me, I can tell you learned plenty from that experience: Lesson One: Be accountable. I dropped the ball, they didn’t. It was up to me to follow up with them and if didn’t hear anything in return it was up to me to keep looking. Lesson Two: Know who I am. I have talent, strengths, and transferable skills. I have values and beliefs. Lesson Three: Get real and get focused: if I job search everywhere for anything I’ll end up nowhere with nothing. Lesson Four: Stay centered. I allowed myself to panic, which was the biggest mistake I made. Instead, I need to hone in on what I want to do that combines what I do best and what I most enjoy doing. Lesson Five: Stay connected. I had lost touch with my friends and had stayed away from my family. I was ashamed to admit that my search was going so badly, embarrassed to admit that I was in a deep funk, and scared to admit that I had lost sight of the horizon. I realize now that I was depressed. I may have sought help earlier had I stayed in touch with people who knew me best and cared about me most.

My story has a positive ending. I’ve found a job that’s a good fit, where I’m feeling reasonably confident, and believe I’m making the kind of difference my boss expects from me and I expect from myself.

There’s a big difference between who I was and who I am now.  I’ve survived my greatest fear; losing my job. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve learned from them. I have goals: I’m planning for the future and saving money for emergencies, two things I had never done in the past. I care about the people in my life and show it, and I always want them to care about me.

That’s my story. Thanks for listening.”