March 28, 2014

I seem to have gotten a little ahead of myself.  

So excited to have this next step interview that I moved it ahead an entire week.  The second interview is the week after next, not next week. Somewhat excruciatingly slow process...

Certainly doesn't hurt to prepare in advance. Even if it's way in advance.

And I will.

But first I need to stuff some plastic Easter eggs with fake bright green grass and silver dollars!

That's right.  Easter's on its way.

Hip-pity hop.

Silver dollars.

Along with Christmas, Easter is a wonderful child's holiday. I'm teaching Harry the real message of both, of course. Not just the giving and receiving of gifts for Christmas, but all about the Baby Jesus and what his birth meant to the world. And for Easter? This is the holiday of rebirth and renewal and of course, resurrection! 

What could be more appropriate right now?

The most adorable and softest Woodland Bunny, ever.

Bubbles in plastic carrot containers..molds for
one of the foods Harry will actually eat.

The fun part, until the actual day, is gathering all the little things together that make for an Easter basket full of treasures. But running a close second and third are eating too much of a giant chocolate Easter Bunny and searching every tree trunk and patch of grass, hunting for eggs around the yard. We are hoping for good weather. It will be Harry's first egg hunt. 

It will also be Harry's first time coloring Easter eggs.  

I bought 4 different kits, with 4 different kinds of eggs promised to be the result: two kinds of jewel tones from America's Favorite Easter Tradition PAAS (the brand we used over 45 years ago) and then Dudley's EGGceptional Decorating kits (Swirl an Egg and Majestic). I found plain white plastic eggs for $1.97 a dozen. Kind of a brilliant idea. They are supposed to dye much the same way as regular eggs, but without the end result of having 30 hard boiled eggs sitting around the house and everyone watching their cholesterol.

PAAS, America's Favorite Easter Tradition.

I also found confetti eggs, eggs filled with small, colorful bits of paper made for smooshing over someone's head in a frenetic moment of celebration. 

As children, I remember hunting hard boiled eggs in my Grandparent's yard.  There were a lot of grandchildren and there were a lot of eggs! 

It was great fun.  

I remember running with abandon around the yard, trying to beat out all the cousins in collecting as many of the brightly colored gems as possible. A competitive bunch, my people.

Easter Sunday best.

In my Grandparent's yard.

Harry wanted a soccer ball last year and I found one resembling a bumble bee that was set among the other Easter treats in his basket. The basket was hidden in the second bathroom shower, behind the curtain. There are limited hiding places in a condo complex.

Of course, the bumble bee is in storage.

Bumble bee soccer ball.

Harry's become a bit frustrated again by our extended stay with Grandma.  He lay in bed the other night, almost in tears. "When are we going to be able to get our stuff, Mommy?" 

I knew exactly what he was talking about, but asked him anyway.

"What do you mean, Sweetie?" 

"All our stuff, Mommy. In storage." And then he added, "Are you ever going to find a job so we can get a new house?"

I've said it before.

Hearing that question in his little voice...is heartbreaking. 

He was just missing some of his things. His skateboard to be exact. Something reminded him that he had one.  He hadn't really learned to use it yet.  We had tried it once along a trail on the beach one sunny afternoon, well over a year ago.

I had him appropriately outfitted with elbow and knee pads, gloves and a helmet.  It took us longer to get all that gear on than he spent on the skateboard.

He wasn't really comfortable, and he may have been a bit young for it anyway.

I assured him that we were close.  

Close to finding a job. 

Close to having a new home. 

Close to getting all our things out of storage and living among them again.

I believe that we are. 

So, to that end...

From Monster.com comes this sage advice.

"The job search can be an arduous process. With an average of 250 resumes submitted for all corporate job openings, competition for the best jobs is fierce. When you do land an interview, a little preparation and knowledge of what headhunters are looking for goes a long way to help you stand out from the crowd."

And offering this - 5 Interview tips that WOW Headhunters:

1. Familiarize yourself with the qualities the recruiter is looking for.

2. Be aware of your skill sets.

3. Read industry publications.

4. Do your homework on the company and the industry.

5. Demonstrate well-roundedness.

Check, check, check, check...and check.

From The Career News (Weekly news, tips and tools for your job search):

"Here are four goals you need to have in mind: Connect with the employer/interviewer; Learn about the company culture; Understand the company challenges; Close the conversation. Now that you know what your goals are, you can start firing off questions. Here are eight important questions you need to ask during an interview:

Questions For Connecting: How did you come to work here? What do you love most about working here? Questions About Company Culture: Who has been the most successful person to work here and why? Who has been the most UNsuccessful person to work here and why? Questions About Company Challenges: What's the biggest challenge the company will face this year? What will I be able to do to measurably make a difference this year? Questions For Closing The Conversation: Is there anything about my background or experience that you would change to make me a better fit for this role? (With a smile) What are the next steps in the process?"

And...

Four secrets of preparing for a job interview:

"Congratulations! You secured a phone or face-to-face interview. Your odds of "winning" the job in this highly competitive environment just skyrocketed. Here are four secrets of preparing for a job interview: Compare yourself to the job description (which was written by the hiring manager). Do this work before you apply to the job. On a piece of paper or word document, draw three columns in a table and add the following content in short bulleted points. Column 1: Major requirements from the job description, Column 2: Your skills for that requirement, and Column 3: Stories or examples of how you performed that task. Prepare your answers to the most commonly asked interview questions. What are your greatest strengths?; What are your greatest weaknesses?; Tell me about yourself; How do you handle stress and pressure? Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it; Why are you leaving your current job? (or, Why did you leave your past position?). The interview law of 3s. For every question, you are allowed no more than three short, concise answers. Think and talk in bullet points. If the interviewer wants more information, he or she will ask you. This rule will prevent you from babbling on and on. For the interviewer, you will come across more confident, self-aware and prepared. Prepare several great questions for them." I've read hundreds and hundreds...really...hundreds, of these kinds of tips and strategy newsletters over the last many, many months. There are nuggets of good advice here and there. Some very obvious things, some not so.   I have read them all.  Job hunting is a skill that I have only just recently had to acquire! Oil slick in the parking lot.