NEW! Job Hunter Series

The greatest thing about VISTA is also the worst thing - it's a year-long, intensive, professional boot camp. I do things at this job I would not have the opportunity to do fresh out of college, which is amazing. I get to serve my community and better myself, not only as a professional, but also as a person.

But let's face it: job hunting sucks. It's the worst job you'll ever have, and even if you're lucky, you'll be accepted for this job at least a couple times in your life. It's discouraging; every rejection feels personal, even though it [usually] isn't.

I am almost five months out from needing a new job, but I learned the hard way that you need to start your hunt far, far earlier than you think you do. At the suggestion of my VISTA leaders, I ordered the book, What Color is Your Parachute?, a book that is updated and reproduced every year. Mine is the 2012 edition - ooh la la!

The book gives a lot of suggestions, some I inherently knew and others that were brand new to me. One suggestion was that job hunters share their job hunt with others (it's a way of tapping into your network and also of staying upbeat about your search). Although I haven't despaired or run out of places to search yet, I know it's nothing but a matter of time.

Sooooo that long-form narrative was just one big way of saying that I will be sharing my job hunt with you guys. If you have any suggestions, comments, questions, or would like to share any of your own job hunting experience, feel free to do so in the comments!