Confused
Ah, interviews... I've had so many in the past few weeks. I am really starting to question what I REALLY want to pursue. Initially, I had considered working for a gov contractor of some sort. I mean, having some experience in this market puts me a step ahead of the mean. After many interviews, I am still somewhat attracted to the stability of such a career. Interesting stuff IS done at these places, but after researching the whole clearance process more in-depth, I have some to realize that I am simply incapable of pursuing that path unless I plan on quiting it altogether down the road at some point. I don't want to start something I KNOW will end. It's just not my style.
In my opinion, all of this weeding out due to the ability of the applicants to receive clearances is IMO, discrimination. If any company were to outright ask some of the questions on the clearance application, it would be considered discrimination. I guess it's a good loophole.
So, now where does that leave me? Over 50% of my prospective job applications were for a government contractor of some sort. I still have open deals with about 4 other companies, but these companies aren't really the perfect fit either. Two of the companies are small ~100 people, which I like in a working sense, but from a financial/security standpoint, is not the greatest scenario. The other two companies are larger, but both are EXTREMELY competitive. I am not really sure how good my chances are for even landing either one of those jobs.
Overall, I am extremely stressed out. It seems that every day has something novel and obstructive to throw in my steady path of progression. The obstacles seem endless. Is this the expansion period of my life I was longing for? It doesn't seem as exciting when you're actually in it. It seems like more of a pain in the ass. I need to start seeing these obstacles as opportunities rather than annoyances. In everyday life, it is so easy to just be annoyed by the work that needs to be done. Often, it isn't till one sees the end result that one realizes that these past obstacles were opportunities for improvement/self development.
Lately, I have come to realize what is important to me, and yet, it is still hard to put into words. It is something along the lines of: I need to stop chasing the "American Dream". It is impossible to achieve. I need to focus on what makes me and those that I love around me happy. Wealth is not measured with the dollar sign.
In my opinion, all of this weeding out due to the ability of the applicants to receive clearances is IMO, discrimination. If any company were to outright ask some of the questions on the clearance application, it would be considered discrimination. I guess it's a good loophole.
So, now where does that leave me? Over 50% of my prospective job applications were for a government contractor of some sort. I still have open deals with about 4 other companies, but these companies aren't really the perfect fit either. Two of the companies are small ~100 people, which I like in a working sense, but from a financial/security standpoint, is not the greatest scenario. The other two companies are larger, but both are EXTREMELY competitive. I am not really sure how good my chances are for even landing either one of those jobs.
Overall, I am extremely stressed out. It seems that every day has something novel and obstructive to throw in my steady path of progression. The obstacles seem endless. Is this the expansion period of my life I was longing for? It doesn't seem as exciting when you're actually in it. It seems like more of a pain in the ass. I need to start seeing these obstacles as opportunities rather than annoyances. In everyday life, it is so easy to just be annoyed by the work that needs to be done. Often, it isn't till one sees the end result that one realizes that these past obstacles were opportunities for improvement/self development.
Lately, I have come to realize what is important to me, and yet, it is still hard to put into words. It is something along the lines of: I need to stop chasing the "American Dream". It is impossible to achieve. I need to focus on what makes me and those that I love around me happy. Wealth is not measured with the dollar sign.
Posted at
2:02 PM
1 Comments:
I think that it's very important to keep in mind that making a job choice now doesn't have to be permanent.
I wouldn't look at it as starting something that you know you'll end up quitting so much as this being but a stepping stone so to speak towards an actual career goal.
Even if you take a job that you later decide you hate for any reason (money, type of work, whatever), it's still growth on your part and will help you in the future to determine what's out there. There's a good reason why a lot of people go back to school and make whole career changes in their 40's. Sometimes people just get sick of what thejavascript:void(0);
Show Original Posty do and want a change, but the majority of people feel that they have grown out of their field after a certain time and would like to grow in some other aspect.
I guess "growth" is the word of the day.
As far as the clearance stuff goes, you hit the nail on the head. It's "behind the curtains" discrimination.
And I wouldn't worry too much about whether or not you're perceiving and encoding these "obstacles" in a constructive format. A lot of times when you just get slammed in a shitstorm of obstacles, the best thing to do is to take them as they come, prioritize them, complete them one at a time, and then make sure that you take the time to look back and reflect. This allows room to improve in the future.
Growth again? I don't know. Oh wait, this is your blog.
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