Networking to a new job.

"It's all about who you know."  We've all heard that saying.  The hubs is particularly fond of saying this in regards to, well, everything: finding a job, getting an oil change, going to the dentist, getting a hair cut, taking a cab, and other relatively mundane daily activities.  I stubbornly ignored this advice.  I was so sure that I would find my dream job solely through the spectacularity of my resume floating through the cloud to land in the lap of my dream employer, who would then be so in awe of my paper representation he/she would hire me on the spot.  I also believed any dentist's office I walked into would care enough about me as a person to use every pain relieving measure at their disposal before attacking my mouth with those horrible torture tools for a "cleaning".  I was such a fool.

I have been networking A LOT lately, partly because I hate sitting at home, but mostly because I love hearing about what people do and how they got there. It turns out that who you know is really important, especially when looking for a job.  9 out of 10 people I talk to got their job through someone they know, not through an online application.  It is so much easier to stand out and make an impression in person than it is to stand out as a random resume online.  So make it a point to get out at least once a week and meet new people.  Here are some great ways to get out there:

• Volunteer.  There are non-profits for every professional organization out there: PR, Marketing, Education, Arts, etc.  There are even non-profits for non-profits.  Contact the local chapter of a non-profit that deals with an industry you are interested in working in and offer to volunteer for an event.  This is a great way to meet contacts at large and small organizations within your industry.
• Play Sports.  Every city has some kind of amateur, just-for-fun sports league.  These are a great way to meet new professionals, have some fun, and get some exercise!  Two of my favorite leagues in the Denver area are KIFAC and SportsMonster.
• Join a Networking group.  There are hundreds of networking groups dedicated to everything from shared hobbies to business sharing.  Check out Young Professional Networks or the Denver Chamber of Commerce.

I've been meeting a lot of great people through networking that are so genuinely caring and are happy to help.  I've even made some great new friends through the process.  While there haven't been any job offers yet, I've been learning a lot about some great companies that are hiring and have been getting some invaluable advice on my resume and application process, and am feeling clearer about what direction I want my career to take.  I even got a great referral for a new dentist.

Cheap Eats: Denver Street Food

Looking for cheap, tasty food with a dose of fresh air and sun?  Head over to Civic Center Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11 and 2 for a food truck corral: the Civic Center EATS Outdoor Cafe.  There, you'll find shaded seating surrounded by 25 different trucks, serving everything from tacos to ice cream sandwiches.

The hubs and I went on Tuesday and made the rounds.  We started at the Cupcake Truck (I have a vicious sweet tooth) where we got Vanilla and Lemon cupcake.  

Then we hit up Stick it to Me for some Korean BBQ Organic Beef on a skewer.  It was dripping with flavor and really tender!

The hubs at Stick it to Me

After that we parted ways.  The hubs went to Pinche Tacos where he got Tacos la Lenguas.  I went to Quiero Arepas where I got the vegan arepa.  We reconvened to devour our food on the steps of the amphitheatre where I discovered my love for said arepa.  Seriously, if you've never had one, do it now!  They are made of a corn-meal bread that is baked to a crisp and filled with delicious ingredients, which in my case included plantains, black beans and avocados.  It made for a really tasty mix of flavors and textures and was pretty filling.  The hubs really enjoyed his lengua taco too, as told by the fact that he inhaled it within a minute.  The taco consisted of beef tongue tacos with onions, avocado, tomatillo salsa and guajillo honey mayo.  The hubs described it as "very tender, and the mayo added just the right amount of kick to play off the freshly squeezed lime juice."

(sorry for the lack of pictures.  I promise to deliver more food pics next time!)

We were stuffed, so we had the cupcakes later in the day and they were AMAZING!  The Lemon was both our favorite, with perfectly sweet/tart lemon cake and cream cheese frosting.  The Vanilla was also delicious with a moist vanilla cake, vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

Civic Center EATS will get you fed and on your way for well under $10.  It's also a great setting for networking* lunches, which is where I plan on having my next one!

*more on networking in a later post

And so it begins...

Hi. My name is Sam and I'm unemployed.

"Hi Sam," responds the similarly disaffected group around me.

Sometimes, the very admission of my unemployed status lifts a weight off my shoulders, as though my dirty secret has been aired out to dry. Other times, it leaves me in fear of the stigma that some, myself sometimes included, will thereafter attach to me. Do people question what got me into this situation? "What did she do wrong?" This stigma, whether self-inflicted or real, makes me wish for an AA-style forum, full of anonymous acceptance, understanding, and the errant success story of gainful employment.

My outlook is definitely not all doom and gloom. It's hard to be gloomy sitting on a sunny patio sipping an iced mate latte (as I currently am). I'm actually feeling a bit bi-polar about the whole thing. I bounce between euphoria over the endless possibilities the future holds, and despair over the loss of a job I held for almost three years (and over the lack of funds in my bank account). The way I was let go was really the most hurtful and disappointing part about this whole experience, but I'm not going to turn this blog into an angry and desperate rant. Thanks to this whole experience, I have a clearer view of what kind of company I want to work for, and how I want to be treated as an employee. Here's what I know:

• I will not work for a company that doesn't value its employees and their ideas. I want to be empowered to take personal ownership over the company's success, and not be micro-managed into complacency and mediocrity.
• I will work for a company that appreciates and thrives on creativity and forward-thinking, not one that tries to fit me into a stifling, archaic mold.
• I will not work for a company whose ethics don't align with my own. I can't spend 40 hours a week doing something I don't feel good about.
• I will work for a company that makes efforts to operate in an environmentally responsible way. That means little things, like no ridiculously wasteful packaging, shipping and printing practices. I'd like to be able to ask people to "consider the environment before printing this email" in my signature line (my last employer made me remove this as it didn't "represent what the company stands for." Seriously.)

With these goals in mind, I'm looking forward to taking on the future. I'm meeting a lot of great people and am excited to share my experiences, tips and tricks along the way. I'm also finding new, cheap and free ways to enjoy all that Denver has to offer.

The sunshine and beautiful summer breeze are helping me de-stigmatize myself. Maybe I'll even change my greeting...

Hi. My name is Sam and I'm excited to be here.