Job hunting sucks.  It’s one of my least favorite things to do.  Sadly, at this point, it’s also unavoidable.  One of the things I don’t like about it, is trying to figure out what the heck I’m going to do.  I don’t have a degree or even a diploma.  In today’s job market, that’s kind of limiting.  So I was thinking about talking to Employment Insurance about education and training programs.  It feels like the right time to take things in a new direction.

Today when I got home from work, my wife and I were talking about my options.  We had been discussing the possibility of getting more training and I was just waiting for Tuesday (after the long weekend) to call Second Career and find out what my options are going to be.  Second Career is a provincial program that provides education and skills training to laid off workers.  Sinnce that’s what I’m going to be soon, it seemed like it could be an option.  Now, we’ve had a rethink.

She isn’t convinced that I’m ready to fully commit to school and that I’m considering it for the wrong reasons.  She’s almost right, but not quite.  Going back to school isn’t at the top of my good times list, but I do want to improve my education and learn new skills.  I’m not pumped about school, but it’s a step towards doing things that are on that good times list.

During the conversation I mentioned a seasonal opportunity that I’ve probably got a pretty good shot at in retail/customer service.  She said she’d rather I take that until after the holidays.  Take some time to think about where I want to go.  Because she loves me, she’d rather see me do something I enjoy than just something I should.  Since I heard about the job opportunity, I’ve actually been thinking about doing both.  The job will probably be part time, so there’s no reason not to see what options EI/Second Career can offer me.  Maybe it will give me the chance to do what I love while learnning to do it better.

After we finished the conversation, we went back to what we were doing  on our respective laptops.  In my case, that meant doing this post.  Unnfortuately, I had no idea what I wanted to say.  I started writing, but it was even more disorganized than yesterday.  So went surfing for some inspiration.  I stumbled on a commmencement address Steve Jobs gave at Stanford University (you can watch it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html )  .  It was the definintion of serendipity.

He may have been addressing the graduates at Stanford, but he was speaking to me.  He talked about how being fired from Apple years ago had given him the freedom to innovate and re-invent himself.  Then, he tallked about the importannce of doing what you love.  During this time, he developed the concepts which would define Apple’s ressurgence after he was rehired.  It addressed everything we had been talking about in a manner which resonnated strongly with me.

I appears that Mr. Jobs has built himself a time machine, traveled into the future and bugged my livingroom just to get some material for a commencement address at Stanford.  I might have thought it a tad excessive, except that I’m starting to understand about writer’s block.  Some days, it might be easier to build a time machine than to do the next post for my blog.

On the other hand, he might have done all of that just so he could give me a bit of guidance when I needed it.  If so, thank you Steve.  Your timing was impeccable.

Nothing is carved in stone.  I’m going to take a resume and apply for the customer service position.  If I get it, then I can start looking at education opportunities.  These are steps on a path.  I may not know where that path will lead, but I understand better how I want to shape it.  I choose to do what I’m passionate about, and I do it with the loving support of my wife.  It may not, in fact problably won’t go the way I imagine it.  At least I will have given myself the chance.  That’s not such a bad gift, is it?

Cheers, Winston