Hey guys.
I know it's been way too long since I last updated the blog. As such I've most likely lost a lot of people who were interested in it (the hoards adoring fans). The reason for the absence correlates directly with the intensity of my job hunt. I understand this is a really weak excuse, but the fact of the matter is that I had to prioritize, and unfortunately the blog got to ride in the backseat, while a lot of new developments started to materialize.
The last few months have been, and not to exaggerate, RIDICULOUS. I experienced everything from a solo 50 hour drive across North America, sleeping in the mountains in Montana, MANY amazing conversations with family and friends, and currently, I'm comfortably settling into a new city with the help of many close friends.
As I mentioned in a previous post, in order to put myself in the best position for success, I created a plan which would involve physically putting myself where the action was. After a bit of contemplation, I decided the city in question would be Toronto. I spent the last few weeks in California contacting everyone I knew, so that when I arrived in Toronto, I'd have a few meetings and interviews set up. And without any sort of tangible opportunity, or incoming income, I packed up my bags, loaded them in the car, and took off. I only mentioned this to a few people, but now that I'm a few weeks removed, I think it's alright to admit that I was completely terrified. I mean, come on... moving to a brand new, EXPENSIVE city, with extremely high standards of where I wanted to be employed was incredibly intimidating. I kept telling myself that this was the best decision, and while the idea of warm weather, family, and a comfortable routine was enticing, that's what it was: comfortable. It was time to jump out of the safety net, and start walking the tight rope, 20 floors up, above hungry sharks (felt the imagery would help put in perspective the ulcers growing in my stomach from uncertainty). I understand EVERYONE has these stressful periods in their lives, and it's clear to me now, how they deal with it, and the support they receive is the difference between succeeding and falling short.
The first week of my arrival in Toronto, I had six meetings/interviews. I used everything I had learned and spoken about in this blog. I had the tools and the know-how to succeed, it was just about executing, and getting a little lucky. I set up some great relationships, and really targeted the opportunities that I was most interested in. The most important thing I learned during this process, was to give everything a fair chance. Most of the time I was surprised how much I enjoyed talking and learning about jobs I didn't think I'd be interested in. I had done all the necessary research, and prepared myself as well as I could have, and as a result, each meeting went as well as possible. After a round of thank yous and follow ups, it was time to get back to searching for new opportunities...as always, hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.
After a few days, I heard back from one of the prospects that I was very excited about, with really good news. I had landed an amazing position, at an incredibly interesting company. Now I can be ignorant, and say that all that time spent re-doing my resume and writing cover letters was a waste of time, but it's clear it wasn't. As I've pretty much said on repeat, I learned more about myself, my objectives, and my ambitions during this period, compared to any other time in my life. It's easy to look in retrospect after you reached the end of a long journey. I started to look back at the decisions I've made that got me here; both good and bad. I think it's human tendency to dissect each move, and over-analyze every step along the way, but at the end of the day, it's about how much you really want something, and what you're willing to do to get it. The risks, the fails, the successes, the bad ideas and the good ideas, all combined, are what got me here today. I had to have to learn to TRUST myself. I know I've said this one hundred times before, but part of the reason I say it so much is to convince myself of this as well. It's easy to get lost in your worries, the stress, and other people's opinions, but it's about shutting all that out, and moving on.
Another recurring theme throughout this blog that I once again wanted to stress, is my complete appreciation for all the support that I've received. It's clear to see that everyone is busy. Everyone has their own schedules, responsibilities, motives, ambitions and objectives, which is why it makes it all the more humbling when they take time out of their day to simply ask how things are going. A small gesture like that goes a long way to someone who may be in a little bit of a rut. To those people, ALL those people, a big thank you is in order.
This is by no means the end of the road. I think of it as another gateway into more uncharted land. The hard work doesn't stop here; more than likely, I don't even know what hard work really is yet. All I can really do is continue preparing myself as best as possible, ask as many questions as I can along the way, and keep rolling with the punches. The journey really starts now.
