After a year of unemployment, of the disappointing Portland job-interview-tread-mill scene, of running away from it all to the coast (never intending to look for work while submerged in my beach-y sabbatical), I am now juggling three jobs!
This is not really hard to do in the coastal "off" season. Part-time, piece-meal work over the winter is typical. I'm meeting all kinds of folk who do this, year after year. They work a steady job over the summer - long, hard hours at one site; and then thread a bunch of odds and ends together over the winter. The coast employment mentality is a refreshing contrast to the Portland mindset. Last year in my strategic job search, I stuck two notations to my lap top when I needed a little rah-rah moment. On the left corner of my screen a post-it challenges me to "Be Open." On the other side another goads me to just "Show Up." It was a way to stretch my confidence beyond my boxy limitations; to remind myself I don't have to have the full package to go after the job. Just be open and show up. Go for it; be a competitor like the rest of 'em. But at the coast, Be Open, Show Up takes on a whole new dimension.
For instance, instead of the typical job search protocol (preparing a cover letter, selecting just the right one of my five resumes, rehearsing the snappy four-point interview presentation, matching the appropriate blouse and shoes to the professional suit and job description, meeting with a series of interviewers who explain all about their needs and deftly query my skill sets), I was hired during a casual over the counter conversation after tromping the beach in my bald jeans and sloppy rubber clogs and told, "Go ahead and get started with my manager. I'll interview you when I get back from my buying-trip and vacation." That's in three weeks. Ya gotta love this beach mentality. Be Open; Show Up.
That's one of the jobs - gift store retail; for now. I was told they were desperate for clerical help too later (after the interview?). Or, this position could be a combination of both roles. Who knows? Don't know my wage. Obviously don't know the job description. But I'm working! And.....I can walk the beach to work.
Then there's the temporary job in Seaside for a couple in dire need of a vacation. Owners of a furniture store, but too under-staffed to take time off and enjoy some down time, they're eager for mature back-up help. My friend and I strolled in, killing time before we fulfilled our girlie night out to watch Meryl Streep in It's Complicated, and began visiting with the two women working the showroom. They were bored and friendly; we were friendly and chatty, and before I knew it I was engaged in a conversation that lead to a job as "floor-room sitter" while they're on vacation. I have a weekend of training, and bam! Next week, I'm on deck. Nothing complicated or traditional about it.
And of course, there's hostessing at Mo's - great people who took me in like mother hens....clucking in empathy; not ready to hire for the spring/summer rush, but couldn't deny their DNA. Helping others get a step up is part of the Mo's heritage - hailing from Mo herself. A salty, gutsy coastal gal who raised her family and a restaurant, chowder bowl by chowder bowl. Working at Mo's doesn't feel like working. It's more like a family pulling together; serving lusty meals at the family table. Coming into this job was nothing at all like a Monster.com process.
I've conditioned myself toward landing the one job. The one that shapes my stage of life in a practical tidy orbit. Health care is the hub with concentric issues of retirement, sustainable living, and a life/work balance. The sensible American dream. But reality asks, "how elastic can I be?"
We'll see. For now, I'll stay in the mode and see where it takes me. I'll Be Open and Show Up.
