Job porn (No actors hired for this post)

No, not as in I'm working in the adult industry. Not at all. But I am getting quite addicted to a certain website...

While I hypothetically have 2 working positions at present and just recently lost another last week (in the words of Lil' Wayne, they're down[sizing] like the economy), I'm rarely working these days and I burn for a "real job." It's ironic when I think that during my graduate work, my current life would sound like nirvana.* Hack together some part time work, travel Asia, have lots and lots and lots of free time to... learn Korean? practice guitar? work on my opera training? However, in practice this free time often goes to one of three things: 1) Things online that mostly pertain to jobs and job hunting. Mostly. 2) Catching up on the last 4 years of sleep deprivation- probably about there and 3) Being Betty Crocker-ish, watching tv online or doing both simultaneously.

photo credit

Now my new obsession is LinkedIn. It's horribly addictive. I used to feel accomplished when I could go through my "suggested friends" and find another handful of middle school friends, acquaintances from conferences or the like to "broaden my networking potential" as lots of the job hunting blogs/books/etc I follow have compelled me to do. Nearly a year ago while looking, I was consoled by the number of friends who like me had grad school as the last item listed even though we were several months past graduation. However, LinkedIn has gotten only more addicting as people elsewhere have managed to find fantastic work. "Ooh, she got a job at [prestigious consulting firm]?" "He's working at [high-profile public office]?!" "Seriously, he books logistics for the President?" (I kid you not, we went to high school together). You get the picture. The more I look, the more I find friends who have scored amazing jobs. And I'm truly happy for them. I merely wish I could join the fun.

So for another day, I'll fight the addiction to look at just a few more pages that makes me both feel warm and hopeful and at the same time crushed and voyeristic. I have four resumes to spiff up and send off. Perhaps it's the 78th time that's the charm.




Vocab of the day:
Korean: 일 (il, which is also the word for one... hrm) = job
Military: MOS = military occupational specialty


*And I must say that I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend time looking for a job that fits (and doesn't torpedo my resume) instead of needing to flip burgers to keep food on the table. I do realize this is a great luxury and makes my rant quite spoiled and unenlightened.