Dont Count Your Job Offers Before They Hatch

Dont Count Your Job Offers Before They Hatch I was sitting at my computer wondering when I would start my new job. I was really excited, and the night before I even dreamed about my first day on the job. I was going to be a project manager at a really cool, bleeding edge high tech company that was recently funded. My new boss had worked managing project managers at Microsoft. I think he left there relatively wealthy, but he couldnt not work. He would be the perfect mentor: structured, experienced, etc.  The technologists at the company were senior scientists of the like I had never seen or worked with before. As I was sure I was going to start soon, I pretty much stopped doing everything else in my job search.  I sent an email to my future boss asking where we were at, expecting him to say come in on Monday!  Lets do this thing! Instead, I got a reply back that said something like we have decided to go with someone else.  Sorry, and good luck. I stared at the screen. This was the lowest point  of my job search. I was sure that the job was mine.  I was excited about this new chapter in my life. I was ready to move into a more structured project management environment, and get great training from this new boss. I had ignored the yellow flags because I was so hopeful.  Turns out the ex-MS guy had all of the characteristics of a narcissist and would surely have been a horrible boss.  The two other project managers that interviewed me didnt even know there was a job opening (the were surprised to even be interviewing me).  There really wasnt an opening at that company, and Im not sure why I was allowed to interview. Within a year the company had closed down.  Good riddance.  Karma.  I wasnt sad one bit. But that morning, reading the rejection email, my already frail world had shattered.  I remember going into a trance. I got on the treadmill and just walked and walked and walked.  I had been neglecting my physical self as I focused on my job search.  It had become my center.  In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey warns us about choosing our centers.  He says that we have to be careful because if we choose a center (like a job, family, school, church, etc.), and that center fails us, then what happens?  We are left without grounding, direction, etc. I walked on the treadmill, trying to make sense of the rejection.  It had to be a mistake.  He had to have lied from day one.  Nothing was true anymore.  I couldnt trust my own judgement. But I must figure this out.  No one else is going to get this money situation solved for me.  I had to do it.  I had to pull myself together. Job search experts say that even though you have interviews, keep networking.  Even if you have job offers, keep interviewing.  Even when you have a job, keep looking for a job! And the rest of the world would say dont count your chickens before they hatch. Dont Count Your Job Offers Before They Hatch I was sitting at my computer wondering when I would start my new job. I was really excited, and the night before I even dreamed about my first day on the job. I was going to be a project manager at a really cool, bleeding edge high tech company that was recently funded. My new boss had worked managing project managers at Microsoft. I think he left there relatively wealthy, but he couldnt not work. He would be the perfect mentor: structured, experienced, etc.  The technologists at the company were senior scientists of the like I had never seen or worked with before. As I was sure I was going to start soon, I pretty much stopped doing everything else in my job search.  I sent an email to my future boss asking where we were at, expecting him to say come in on Monday!  Lets do this thing! Instead, I got a reply back that said something like we have decided to go with someone else.  Sorry, and good luck. I stared at the screen. This was the lowest point  of my job search. I was sure that the job was mine.  I was excited about this new chapter in my life. I was ready to move into a more structured project management environment, and get great training from this new boss. I had ignored the yellow flags because I was so hopeful.  Turns out the ex-MS guy had all of the characteristics of a narcissist and would surely have been a horrible boss.  The two other project managers that interviewed me didnt even know there was a job opening (the were surprised to even be interviewing me).  There really wasnt an opening at that company, and Im not sure why I was allowed to interview. Within a year the company had closed down.  Good riddance.  Karma.  I wasnt sad one bit. But that morning, reading the rejection email, my already frail world had shattered.  I remember going into a trance. I got on the treadmill and just walked and walked and walked.  I had been neglecting my physical self as I focused on my job search.  It had become my center.  In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey warns us about choosing our centers.  He says that we have to be careful because if we choose a center (like a job, family, school, church, etc.), and that center fails us, then what happens?  We are left without grounding, direction, etc. I walked on the treadmill, trying to make sense of the rejection.  It had to be a mistake.  He had to have lied from day one.  Nothing was true anymore.  I couldnt trust my own judgement. But I must figure this out.  No one else is going to get this money situation solved for me.  I had to do it.  I had to pull myself together. Job search experts say that even though you have interviews, keep networking.  Even if you have job offers, keep interviewing.  Even when you have a job, keep looking for a job! And the rest of the world would say dont count your chickens before they hatch.