Discovering Recent Stressors
We have been in South Dakota for 28 days! In the beginning, it felt like a really long vacation. We didn't have much of a choice other than to take it one day at a time. We spent A LOT of that time getting to know the area, being the newbies and generally just enjoying the atmosphere of somewhere we've never experienced before. Now that we've settled in I find that everyday has me taking care of another responsibility in our lives. I'm serious when I say it really does feel like an endless check list. From big things to small things, I simply can't find myself in a position to successfully claim that "I'm all done". Of course, there are many things we have accomplished and I'm glad to be done with them (like getting the internet hooked up and dealing with in processing stuff), for those of you who are already aware of the minor battles we've dealt with...
But the responsibilities aren't just here, they also remain in Florida. While I'm glad we still own our house, it tends to be a thorn in my side about keeping up with the yearly maintenance. Fortunately, with my mom helping out in that department, I don't have to worry about the house's well-being (or hers for that matter). But it's our responsibility to get things like the A/C unit routinely inspected, and for the love of pete, eventually cut down that stupid tree! Well, those are at the top of the Florida to-do list anyway. And I'm confident it will eventually get done at some point this year. I just have a bad habit of wanting everything done at one time. I think I unknowingly put added pressure on myself to get everything done. Then I realize when my plate is so full I can't even see it, I have to re-evaluate and work from the top down just to find it again. lol
Recently added to my plate is job hunting. I hadn't even planned to look for another couple months. But it was one of those one-thing-lead-to-another situations and all of a sudden I'm updating my resume and sending out applications. My sights were set on one job in particular: a receptionist/assistant position at the Vet Clinic here on base. It was the ideal job for me to have, especially because it was located on base. I'd get off in time to spend the evenings with Jeff, weekends off, okay pay but hey at least I wasn't driving far every day. I just knew I could do it. And I wanted it. Bad. But apparently it wasn't meant to be. And surprisingly, that reason did not set well with me. To be honest, I took it as rejection. I felt very inadequate after discovering I wasn't chosen for the job. Not that I was in any kind of overconfident state of mind about getting it in the first place. I simply wanted to prove myself there and be apart of a new challenge. (And play with the doggies). I knew finding a job would be difficult, I just didn't expect to feel so easily defeated.
I've branched out and started looking in Rapid City for jobs available. Let me just say, there are about a million available. However, I am no truck driver or medical physician. I'm not a journalist, or baby sitter, or dentist, and I'm sure as heck not going to work as a waitress until 11 at night-missing out on family time. But there are handful of other receptionist jobs for hire and I like what they have to offer. The hard part is going to be convincing a potential employer that I am capable. I've read my own resume in effort to see it from their point of view: "Work experience: Part time customer service associate at Publix Super Markets. That's it? She's never even had a full time job or other work experiences outside that industry? Next..."
So, I've had to get fancy in my resume drafting skills. The truth is, no one really knows about Publix up here. Perhaps they should because every grocery company up here sucks. Publix is no ordinary grocery store. And that is exactly how I begin the section on the application that requires you to list your previous job's responsibilities. (If not there, I was certain to include it in my cover letter!) I have had to "capture my reader" so-to-speak and make them understand how I was simply required to excel in my duties at Publix. And at the risk of sounding boastful or over confident: I did. And although I hated retail, working there for 6+ years helped to mold me into a great worker because of the high expectations and pressures put on me every day. I had so many opportunities to be both the trainee and the trainer I was able to learn a multitude of areas that I know would enable me to work places outside of a retail setting. I'll spare you the nutshell version of my cover letter and details of resume. My point is, I'm just starting to get nervous that I may not get a chance to be a part of a team or excel somewhere else. I hadn't considered that many employers will turn their nose up to a military spouse simply because I could be moving sooner than we thought. Having a job provides a type of structure in my day to day life. I enjoy contributing to our household income and I like helping people, even if it is from behind a desk. Jeff's orders are here for at least 2 years so I'm hoping we won't have any surprises before then.
In the mean time if finding a decent job gets too be ridiculous, Jeff has offered the suggestion for me to go back to school. I do have my AA but I'm uninterested in pursuing that major any farther. For many months, I have considered going for radiology. The only thing holding me back is that I don't have a peace about pursuing that one either. I'm forever stuck in this "I have no idea what to do" stage. But at least school IS an option if I wanted it to be...
Okay, this rant is enough for now. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
But the responsibilities aren't just here, they also remain in Florida. While I'm glad we still own our house, it tends to be a thorn in my side about keeping up with the yearly maintenance. Fortunately, with my mom helping out in that department, I don't have to worry about the house's well-being (or hers for that matter). But it's our responsibility to get things like the A/C unit routinely inspected, and for the love of pete, eventually cut down that stupid tree! Well, those are at the top of the Florida to-do list anyway. And I'm confident it will eventually get done at some point this year. I just have a bad habit of wanting everything done at one time. I think I unknowingly put added pressure on myself to get everything done. Then I realize when my plate is so full I can't even see it, I have to re-evaluate and work from the top down just to find it again. lol
Recently added to my plate is job hunting. I hadn't even planned to look for another couple months. But it was one of those one-thing-lead-to-another situations and all of a sudden I'm updating my resume and sending out applications. My sights were set on one job in particular: a receptionist/assistant position at the Vet Clinic here on base. It was the ideal job for me to have, especially because it was located on base. I'd get off in time to spend the evenings with Jeff, weekends off, okay pay but hey at least I wasn't driving far every day. I just knew I could do it. And I wanted it. Bad. But apparently it wasn't meant to be. And surprisingly, that reason did not set well with me. To be honest, I took it as rejection. I felt very inadequate after discovering I wasn't chosen for the job. Not that I was in any kind of overconfident state of mind about getting it in the first place. I simply wanted to prove myself there and be apart of a new challenge. (And play with the doggies). I knew finding a job would be difficult, I just didn't expect to feel so easily defeated.
I've branched out and started looking in Rapid City for jobs available. Let me just say, there are about a million available. However, I am no truck driver or medical physician. I'm not a journalist, or baby sitter, or dentist, and I'm sure as heck not going to work as a waitress until 11 at night-missing out on family time. But there are handful of other receptionist jobs for hire and I like what they have to offer. The hard part is going to be convincing a potential employer that I am capable. I've read my own resume in effort to see it from their point of view: "Work experience: Part time customer service associate at Publix Super Markets. That's it? She's never even had a full time job or other work experiences outside that industry? Next..."
So, I've had to get fancy in my resume drafting skills. The truth is, no one really knows about Publix up here. Perhaps they should because every grocery company up here sucks. Publix is no ordinary grocery store. And that is exactly how I begin the section on the application that requires you to list your previous job's responsibilities. (If not there, I was certain to include it in my cover letter!) I have had to "capture my reader" so-to-speak and make them understand how I was simply required to excel in my duties at Publix. And at the risk of sounding boastful or over confident: I did. And although I hated retail, working there for 6+ years helped to mold me into a great worker because of the high expectations and pressures put on me every day. I had so many opportunities to be both the trainee and the trainer I was able to learn a multitude of areas that I know would enable me to work places outside of a retail setting. I'll spare you the nutshell version of my cover letter and details of resume. My point is, I'm just starting to get nervous that I may not get a chance to be a part of a team or excel somewhere else. I hadn't considered that many employers will turn their nose up to a military spouse simply because I could be moving sooner than we thought. Having a job provides a type of structure in my day to day life. I enjoy contributing to our household income and I like helping people, even if it is from behind a desk. Jeff's orders are here for at least 2 years so I'm hoping we won't have any surprises before then.
In the mean time if finding a decent job gets too be ridiculous, Jeff has offered the suggestion for me to go back to school. I do have my AA but I'm uninterested in pursuing that major any farther. For many months, I have considered going for radiology. The only thing holding me back is that I don't have a peace about pursuing that one either. I'm forever stuck in this "I have no idea what to do" stage. But at least school IS an option if I wanted it to be...
Okay, this rant is enough for now. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
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