Dating and job hunting

(Love is Blind used with permission, gratis from the lovely and talented Photographer.)

In my hunt for the perfect job, I keep discovering similarities between looking for a job and looking for a date.

I sent my resume out to all the interesting-sounding potential jobs, then waited by the phone to see if anyone would call.

When one did call, I got a little case of butterflies. But when he offered me a job within an hour of getting my resume, I turned him down. The good ones are never the desperate ones when it comes to jobs and men.

When I asked if we could negotiate a few things so that I would earn more than $4.oo an hour and work less than 100 hours a week, he got angry and attacked, saying:"That you made these requests of me shows your lack of knowledge and judgement."

Nice guy. He would've made a great boss and a wonderful boyfriend. I definately should have moved to a small town in another province to work with him.

Another employer interviewed me and we had a good conversation and a few laughs.

When he decided to go with another applicant because she was moving to his town anyways, he called to let me know he was very sorry, that he really liked me, that he wished he could hire both of us, and that things might not work out with the other girl and he would keep my resume on file. He was very sweet and I'd let him break up with me anytime. (It may have helped that I had already decided to turn down the job if he offered it to me.)

I applied for a summer horseback riding job and wasn't sure if I wanted it or not. The employer said she'd call on Saturday to let me know if she wanted to hire me.

First thing Saturday morning I was going to tell her I needed a few days to decide if I would take the job. When she hadn't called by 2 pm, I was confused. I was sure she would offer me the job, but wouldn't she have called sooner if she wanted me? At 3 pm I started feeling dejected and wondering what I had done wrong.

When I thought I couldn't have the job, I really started to want it. And when she called at 4 pm, I snapped up the job without hesitation. Nothing like a boss playing a little game of hard-to-get.

I'm not sure if I'm settling for this job, but it doesn't really matter because it's only for a few months and will buy me some time finding a fabulous real job.

Before I accepted the trail guide job, I applied for another reporting job that I think I would love. I'm getting a little shivery thinking about it. But if it's meant to be, it will still be there when I get out my short-term committment, won't it?

Or maybe something better will come along.

I don't know how other people decide who* they want to work for or date. I can't stop second guessing things and thinking there's something better out there than what I'm being offered.

*Excuse my refusal to use the archaic term "whom."