A last gasp

I may recant this later.

In the middle of the month I took an interview with an engineering company, one that has been in my sights for 5 years.  Late in the day a week after the meeting I received the negative news.  A second interview and any notion of that job was off the books.  The news contributed to January being a three year low in my mood.  With the previous low point being in the Yukon, where to myself I had nicknamed my room mate, blunt object, not because he was dull or stupid, but because I occasionally thought about applying one to his head.  There are reasons why I need to stay out of geology.  On that interview day as I struggled to drag my sleep deprived body out of bed, while strongly considering the alternative, I pondered.  Was this the last  best chance.

Not the last chance for a job, but the last gasp, of a failing plan.  A plan hatched 5 years ago on the back of some second hand ambition, held loosely together by reason.  I had staggered up to the gates of a citadel and met with their emissary, I failed their test yet passed my own.  It had been my goal to interview with those bigger players for some time, I have had a few brushes with near success, now it is a good time to refocus my efforts.

Upon closer inspection, I have no choice.  While I have by and large not burned bridges, I have enough spite to do so now.  9 Years in an industry that failed to embrace, and industry that will consume those that do embrace it and has little room for those who don't.  Simmering at the back of my head is the question of why I have I avoided networking, and so much of the other smart things, I know to do to get work.  At least part of it is, my bitter will show.  The known leaves a bad taste in my mouth, one that will not escape notice.

So the reoccurring question of what to do comes back.  My default answer is I don't know.  It will remain so, however this time around I will seek the means to try more things.  It has been suggested that I take on temp work, in my current professional and personal tail spin this might be the best thing I can do.  This week has included effort to retool my wordy and technical resume into something lacking neither of those qualities and  still retaining facts that will get me in the door.

So I am open to suggestions, and if you need a spare set of hands, to smash open rocks, not get chopped up by choppers, or stack one box on top of another I could be of use.