Overhearing Candidates Interviewing for Your Position

...is a lot harder than I realized. Especially when I am choosing to be unemployed.

Today is the first day of interviews in my office. The job posting went up last Friday and since then 80 people have applied. Of the 80, 8 made it to the interviews. All women. Tough job market.

I am not involved in this process at all...for some reason, I thought I would have some sort of role in hiring the next person...naive of me to think. I guess it's all part of the spotlight effect where I think everything is all about me, haha.

It's just interesting to reflect on my process of how I got hired...I was first an intern and by the end of the second month, I was offered a job. I wasn't sure if I should take it but I took it anyway because it was career advancing. A year and a half later, I'm leaving. In this time period, I've learned a lot about social media and communications, most of which I have never really articulated because it's just become so automatic. I wonder how this will translate in my next position. I've also learned a lot about myself and what an initiator I am...but not so good with the results analysis (the one aspect I've avoided was analyzing the social media metrics, which is something that I should have spent more time on, but I really get intimidated by data.) I've contributed a lot to the development of the site and the blog. I've gone to numerous talks and workshops and connected with women entrepreneurs one-on-one. I did my first multi-media segment with Claudia Chan! There is a lot I have to be proud of, yet I have never really celebrated my successes and continued to focus on my shortcomings. This is sadly, my approach in life.

Moving forward, as I apply for new jobs and work in a new position, I will be more mindful of my accomplishments and keep track of them because it's important to track my own personal growth. And it's important to celebrate them. This isn't like school anymore where I get a report card or a grade. I am in charge of assessing myself, and that is no easy task.

So, yes, it's been hard listening to these candidates interviewing for my position, which, in some ways, I took for granted (so many hours lost on browsing the internet...because it was my job?) and I am really excited for this organization to get a breath of fresh air and some social media expertise. There's a voice that also says, "I hope they don't hire somebody better than me," but that's a selfish way of thinking because I really do wish the best for them. I've done all that I could and it's time for me to move on--there's no point in berating myself on what I could have done.

I know this was the right decision to make because even though I don't have a job secured, I'm not afraid or worried, which is the most surprising thing, considering I'm an excessive worrier. Maybe I'm just being blissfully ignorant about how hard it is to find a job (average unemployment period is 9 months in the U.S.) but even this is not deterring. I have faith that I will be able to find my way, whether it is a job in international education or starting something on my own.