Hunting the wild employment beast

Me: Well, I'm off to my job search seminar.
figmentj: Okay. Go and get your career!
Me: I don't think they're handing them out.
figmentj: Well, then, go get free coffee and a business card!

That was Monday. The seminar was required by the state as part of my unemployment benefits requirements, held at a local independent career center. I went in with a bit of trepidation and a bit of a clanging eyeroll, but it actually turned out to be very helpful, both in giving me access to resources and finally getting me pumped on the whole search process.

And, of course, convincing me that I'm doing it wrong.

If you'll forgive me for spelling out some obscenely obvious things that the rest of the known world already knew and tried to tell me: This plan of mine to get a basic call center job, one that fits my work history, just to get a paycheck while I try to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life? Mmmmyeah, hell fnorking no. The half-assed search I've been doing up until now, tooling around monster.com and applying to the bare minimum while secretly hoping I don't get it? Not only not going to work (I knew that) but there's a reason why I've been doing it that way besides laziness (didn't quite grok that part). The pipe dream where I find a board game company in the area to work for, my dream job, the one I'm perpetually convinced is impossible? I need to determine that it's actually impossible first.

In today's news, Hasbro announced an upcoming expansion of operations into Providence, with 284 job openings. Not the company I'd choose, but it means the number of local game companies is greater than zero.

Abject terror and doubt? Still there. But let's see where this goes, shall we?