The Shadow-gloom and Weight of the Sacred

I'm looking for a job. A lot of people are. I'm more fortunate than a lot of people because my former employer (technically, I'm still employed by them) is paying me as I look for a job. Of course, that won't go on forever, but it's a true blessing--overwhelming at that--as we are making a number of huge transitions.

It's pretty easy to get discouraged when job hunting, especially if you're like me and you have difficulty dealing with disappointment and rejection. I really feel like I can do most of the jobs I'm searching for. It doesn't look that way on paper necessarily, but the resume only reveals so much about a person. I've sent resumes to around 40 potential employers, but the only response I've received is two rejection notices. It's just difficult not to feel a little hurt when someone tells you they don't want you. Even when it's just a job--not a family member or friends saying they don't want you--it's still biting. You begin to look at job openings you know you should pursue--jobs for which you should be a good candidate--and don't even bother because, if they reply, it will be a rejection notice.

This last weekend, I filled out an online application for a university staff position. The application online process at universities is a little lengthy; it takes a lot of time to fill out all those forms. When you get done, the university website will show you the status of your application and you can go back and check on it as often as you want. As soon as I finished filling out the application, my status was "not qualified."