While my portfolio is still not quite finished, I have put up a passable temporary placeholder, and have now sent out three resumes. One was to a friend’s former employer (they say it’s not what you know, but WHO you know), one was a classified ad brought to my attention by a co-worker, and one was an ad I found on my own in the local paper (well, on their website, anyway).
I still have a really hard time “selling” myself as being THE employee a given employer should hire. I’ve been playing up my quick learning and adaptation skills, and my versatility — need a designer with programming background, or a quick-learning programmer with design skills?
But, still. I’m no rockstar, no matter what my husband says. I can’t let on to potential employers, though.
I’ll find something better than banking. I’m sure of it. It may not be the ideal job, but it’ll be invaluable experience, and it’ll use the part of my brain that makes me happy and fulfilled. I got to do that for six months, while James and I were actively developing our database, and I’d never been happier about going to work.
Of course, I’m *hoping* for the ideal job. That would be pretty keen.
…
Dammit, I *am* a rockstar! Look at all this shit I can do, and without even a CS degree. Really! That database James and I made is pretty posh for Access, considering how much of it we Googled along the way. I can do this. I can hang with the rockstars. I rule!
F it. Just start a company.
Thank you for posting the second part of that. You ARE a rock star, just without the ego. The way I figure it, there are two ends of the spectrum: people who can do a lot but can’t talk it up, and people who are completely incompetent but talk a good game.
How often do you hang out with geeks and talk geek? Seriously, pull out some of the lingo in an interview and blow some smoke. They won’t know what you’re talking about, but they’ll know you know.
I’m not sure if any of that made sense.
Hedging the truth is acceptable at times.
Don’t sell yourself short–be the frackin’ rockstar!