Keeping your eye on the prize

Is all about maintaining a rigorous and effective schedule.  Be sure to include down time for your mind and body.  Include exercise, meditation, and flexibility training, too.  Add self designed projects to your portfolio.  Take the time to create a goal board.  Use your cardiovascular training, steady state workouts as time to reflect and ask yourself important questions.  Don't fall into a morass of self pity.  Be positive.  Learn to meditate.  Learn a new skill that is relevant to what you want to do.  For example, I want to learn to speak Spanish because here in CA, that is a very useful skill to have.  Be confident in spending time on other projects such as home improvements.  There is no shame in having new tile in your bathroom or a vegetable garden.  Clean out your closets.  Donate those items that you don't need or want.  Release that energy so that you can receive the energy that you do want.  Between your last job and your next may be some time to volunteer or be an intern.  There may be time to dedicate to learning how to navigate by the stars or about the top five most common native flowers in your county.  This in between time may be just what you need to close any educational gaps that still bother you.  I do wonder if in this time of financially ebb, if all of us just needed a day off.

Ever had the its darn hot blues?

Well, its darn hot, and I would sing the blues if it didn't raise my body temperature.  I am checking out a new website called rodevans.tv I received an email from him and apparently he is putting out a new website with tips and tricks for photographers.  I thought it would be worthwhile to post a link because he is offering 30$ off any of the "full training videos" if you give him feedback on what you would like to see.  Personally, I'm really interested in wild life photography.  I find that kind of work to be exciting.  I hope he does primarily technical tutorial's because when it comes to composition, I think most people have a feel for it.  Composition can be taught however, for me personally, thats not the part I need to (pardon the pun) focus on right now.

I didn't get that job.

Sigh, it would have been great!  Oh well.  Back to the drawing board.  I need to work on my portfolio and continue looking for work.  I don't know why I didn't get that job.  The email said that they hired someone who was more qualified.  Thats possible.  There are a lot of really qualified people in this area.  Still, I would  have been really good at the job.  I guess thats all the news that isn't news.  I sure could have used the pay.  I am reliable, a quick learner, and I get along with people well.  I have experience and I really thought I was an excellent candidate for the job.  We are hurting for work.  I really want to be employed, full time, close to home, with a benefit package, in a place where I am appreciated for my expertise and personality.  I want to be compensated appropriately for the work I perform.  My dad suggested that I do that kind of business on my own.  I don't want to own the business or be responsible for the insurance costs. I have done that once already and its a lot of money that I don't have.

Job Search 2009

I spent the morning online searching for new job listings.  I found one that I sent a resume to and I returned a phone call to another.  I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow.  I am optimistic about this prospect.  I have a peculiar set of skills that dove tails with the job as described to me on the phone.  I choose to remain cool and calm.  It is not necessary to become excited about an interview.  Its been my experience that you get the job that you are supposed to get.  I also read the article posted on Sac Bee.com about how to prepare for a job interview.  I have looked at the company's website and they seem to be reputable.  The gentleman on the phone seemed to indicate that they had proprietary software for me to learn, so I did not already need to know the software prior to walking in the door.  Also, the website displayed a diverse company, that is important to me because I am native American.  Also, its a full time position and within driving distance.  The hours quoted to me on the phone seemed more than doable.  I have worked very grueling hours before, that is an experience that I do not care to repeat.

keeping the eye on the prize

I applied to a part time job this morning.  I am willing to take a part time position because that will still give me enough time to still work on my photography and music.  Its a technical/assistant position and I think that I am qualified.  I am good with following instructions, working with people and I have a background in tutoring.  Over all I am a great candidate.  However, there are people who are more technically proficient than I am.  I consider myself to be a user rather than an innovator.  I learn each piece of gear that I need to know and I use it.  I do not have an endless supply of gear knowledge in my head.  I'm not so sure thats a necessity anymore anyway.  Each setup is different.  Each camera is different.  I was listening to TWIP over the weekend as I ate some weeds and one of the photographers (forgive, I'm forgotten which one) said that he still uses his Canon 10D because why upgrade a camera body when you would need to relearn everything and all you get is a few new features.  I agree with that.  I think you learn the gear you have and from there are able to help others with that setup.  Well, thats one more prospect in my job quest.  

Job Search aka the Job Crawl

I check the job listings every morning.  There are some openings so I still have some hope.  I have my resume and references together.  I have put the word out that I'm in the job market.  I'm attending job fairs.  I'm checking Craig's list.  I have a video job this week, I'm doing to construction still work.  I have set up a short curriculum of skills to freshen up or improve.  I am applying to administrative and customer service listings.  If I don't get any nibbles in the next three months, I may apply to Radio Shack or Home Depot.