The Change Choice

A new journey has begun at The Change Choice I will still post here occasionally, as I have for the past 9 years, but posts over there have a different focus.

Moving Forward... Maybe

A week ago, or maybe two, I was telling my friend about how I am stuck.

But then, this week, something changed. Something I can't explain is happening, and I am worried and excited and expecting things that may never come.

For the first time in a long time, I have hope. And this time I don't resent it.

Regrets

I should have gotten on that plane... .

It's absurd, because I know that's not what I wanted at the time. There are a lot of choices I have made that have brought me here. Choices that I made to get one step closer to my so-called goals; goals that I have not achieved, mostly because life happened while I was making choices. But with every decision made, every step taken, I had to forfeit something along the way. There have been a lot of choices, a lot of decisions, a lot of forfeits.

But today I think: I should have gotten on that plane.

It wouldn't have made my life any easier, or better. It would just be different. And maybe I wouldn't have had to forfeit so many things. Maybe I would have made different choices. Embarked on a different path that required a different set of decisions.

It's a ridiculous thought, because as much as I wanted to say "what the hell" and go for it; I was my usual self, and decided against it. How many times have I done that? How many times have I thought of all the reasons not to jump, and then used them as my excuses not to do what I truly wanted.

That's just what I do. I think myself out doing things that I then regret not doing.

Too late.

Back to Work

So, last week, I finally started working again. I really like where I work, and the people I work with. I expect to learn a lot of little nuisances relating to the law and the court system. Anyway, that's it.

Supreme Court Opinions

Spent the last couple hours reading the latest Supreme Court opinions. Some interesting ones, some not so much. Particularly interest in Ryburn v. Huff, 565 U. S. ____ (2012). Basicly, it says that given certain circumstance where a police officer can reasonably believe that s/he or others might be in imminent danger, warrantless entry into a house is not outside the scope of the Fourth Amendment.

Now that I have exercised my brain, I should probably go to the gym.

Job Search

Okay, there are a lot of things working against those of us who are currently looking for employment. For instance, very high unemployment in major urban areas. Right, so the more unemployed, the harder it is. Seems logical.

But, then, you have to face the fact that the job that used to pay $15 an hour three (3) years ago, now pays $10. Likely, you still have the same expenses and debts from three (3) years ago, but now your options put you in the precarious position of having to take a job that will not cover all your bills. Thus, you should also be looking for a part-time job to cover the difference. Oh, and congratulating Uncle Sam on all the extra taxes that will be collected (and not refunded) due to having two (2) jobs.

As if looking for one job weren't hard enough at this time, now you need to find two. But that's not all. Remember the $15 an hour job from three (3) years ago? Well, that was if you had an Associate's degree or five (5) years experience. Now, to get the $10 an hour job you have to have a Bachelor's degree, some sort of certificate, and 3-5 years experience. The search gets harder every day.

Luckily, I have a Bachelor's degree (from a good university, too), and I have the education and training that would be covered by the certificate (though, I would need experience to actually get the certification), and I have experience - except it is not 3-5 years on topic. Unfortunately, I either get a "you are overqualified" or a "you don't quite meet our qualifications" excuse. 

The truth is there are just too many people without jobs, applying to the same jobs as everyone else. Then, on top of that, there are people with less experience, more experience, more practical experience, better credentials, more or less qualifications, and/or just the right amount of education. The list is endless. 

So, what we need is better resumes (the kind that actually say something about you, rather than your old jobs), less online applications and more activities. 

That I am working on!

2012!

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Finished internship hours on Tuesday. Will continue to go to intern this week. Have been applying for jobs all over. Not sure what will happen, or where I'll end up. Rooting for PA or Daytona Beach, so far. But DC would be nice too, if the pay is right. Hoping for the best. 

FSCJ managed to screw with my head right before being done. Don't know what will happen there. But at least I am done. Yay!

Another Sojourn Ends

Almost done with internship. Looking for job. Considering relocation.

Not feeling verbose at this moment.

Internship

Have possibly found my internship. Very excited. I can't wait to begin. It should be interesting.