Integral Interviews

Interviewing is an integral part of getting a job.  My brain knows and accepts this, but it doesn't stop my heart and emotions from going all out of whack when it comes to interviewing.  This past Saturday I went to a job fair in Little Rock, AR.  My mom made the trip with me and I was very glad for that, because if she hadn't gone with me I probably would have chickened out and not attended the event.  I got some good information while I was there and made some contacts that will be helpful in my search, but that was after I controlled my breathing, sucked up the tears falling from anxiety and fear and made myself walk through the door.

I don't remember ever really being a person who does a lot of self talk.  I might repeat something over and over that I want to remember, or I might scold myself if I've made a mistake or been a klutz but self pep talks aren't something I do very often.  In fact until I started this job search I can count on one hand the number of times that I pepped myself up with an internal conversation.  That's exactly what I found myself doing on Saturday though.  With every step I took toward the door I said something in my head to encourage myself to do this.  I know a lot about my job and I can do my job well.  I'm just not good at convincing others of that in a twenty minute, first impression meeting.

Tomorrow I have a Skype interview with an elementary school in Utah and tonight when checking my e-mail I found a request for an interview from a school in Washington, DC.  I have some paperwork to fill out for DC before I contact them about an interview time, but they are interested in talking to me in the next couple of days.  I'm also hoping to get an interview from a job that I applied for here in Oklahoma.  All of them are exciting and interesting opportunities...I just need to find the right one.

I haven't been nervous yet about not having a job right now.  If I'm still unemployed in July that may be a different story, but right now I know that the right opportunity is out there, I just have to find the one that fits me.