Happy Thursday!

It's a short work-week this week but why does it feel like it's dragggging? Maybe it's because I'm going on vacation next week? That always seems to make the week go slower. I figured I needed a little pick-me-up so I scoured the web looking for funny job interview stories. Why? Because I am literally the WORST at job interviews, so I think laughing at someone else's pain might make me feel better about my own shortcomings.

Here's a few I've found:

Have you ever been rained on at an interview before?
“One of my first jobs as a supervisor was to interview candidates for an administrative assistant,” Leigh S. recalls. “We scheduled a full day of screenings. Following a very wet and rainy night, some areas of our office roof were leaking and maintenance had a couple of buckets in the hallway. Not a great first impression, but hey, it was a quaint old office building. Each applicant had to complete a battery of written tests.

As one candidate dutifully sat at a desk outside my office, I heard a “crack,” a “swoosh” and then a huge splash. The ceiling tile just above the candidate had collapsed under the weight of the rain water and drenched her. Wet but unharmed, the experience clearly dampened her spirits and her prized interview suit. She immediately informed me that she was no longer interested in the job.”

Have you ever been arrested at a job interview before?
"An applicant had taken a cab from the airport hotel. He had a dispute with the driver over the fare. Unsatisfied with the amount of money he received, the cab driver called the police. The job interview was interrupted by one of our security officers, who had to escort the applicant to the lobby where he was asked by police to pay the cab driver the remaining fare."
-from Stacy Murphy, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

This one is definitely my favorite and for all my fellow road-ragers out there:
"My friend was racing to an interview. She flipped off another driver who blocked her car in the garage. The other driver ignored her, so she started honking and shouting obscenities. She finally got her car parked. She ran upstairs to the interview. The other driver was the owner of the company who was interviewing her."
-from: Kelley McCormick, Qorvis Communications

So, there you have it my dear friends. If you've ever had a bad job interview experience, you can be happy in the fact that none of these things happened to you!

Has anyone ever had a job interview go so wrong that it was funny? We'd love to hear it!

The Power of Positive Thinking

When I first met my husband, I was an extremely negative person. If something bad happened--say, unexpected car trouble--I immediately went to the mindset that the sky was falling and that my life was over. He taught me that together we can work everything out and that it could ALWAYS be worse. I can see the transformation in the last few years of my thinking and the way I react to certain situations. When something bad happens now, instead of automatically expecting the worst, I try to think of alternative ways to deal with the problem. I can definitely see the change in my life in the last year and I feel like a lot more positive things are coming my way. I am a huge believer in what you put out there is equal to what you get back.

It got me thinking about positive thinking and if there's any link between positive thinking and a happier life. I've always heard about positive thinking among those with terminal illness, but is there any evidence that positive thinking can really change your life? I Googled it and found a study from Korea called "Positive-Thinking and Life Satisfaction Among Koreans." (The study from 2007 can be found here.) The study included 409 people and asked them questions based on their life satisfaction, positive thinking and their demographics. The conclusion of the study was this: "We provided empirical evidence that positive thinking may indeed play a significant role in life satisfaction. Therefore, positive thinking would offer important direction for the growth of life satisfaction and interventions aiming to remediate the effects of demographic variables on life satisfaction."

My challenge to my followers is to try to start thinking of the glass half full. It can definitely be a hard process to change your thinking, especially if your thinking is as negative as mine has always been. If you're going through a rough time right now, it can be hard to think of the good things in life that you have, but I encourage you to try it. Let me know in the comments a time when positive thinking has paid off or has helped you.

Finding a Job You Love: Tip #1: Basic Networking

The first time I heard the term 'networking' was when I signed up for Facebook. Looking for: Networking. It sounded like a fancy way of saying: "Kissing someone's butt until it pays off." Being older and wiser now, I've learned networking actually does help since I got my oh-so-fabulous job because I proved myself to the right people. As I mentioned in my last post, there are a million people looking for that stellar job. You have to rise above the competition and prove why you're better than the last thirty people that they've interviewed. Usually knowing someone and getting rave reviews gives you an edge, since you have a proven history of success. Maybe this sounds basic, but I believe this helps.

A Few Tips to Start Creating Networks:

*Utilize the people you know first. 
If you're actively searching for a job, ask your friends and family first. Sometimes the people you know already have leads at their current jobs or know of places that are hiring. If they don't know of any job openings, ask them to keep you in mind if anything comes up. If they DO know of a job, a friend will be able to tell you the specs of the job without any filter or boundaries. They can tell you what HR won't--turnover, attitude of management, how often you get a raise, job duties, or if you should steer clear of the job altogether. Chances are someone in HR won't try to talk you out of the job no matter how terrible it truly is.

*Network Through Social Media. 
This one's my fave since this is my field of expertise. I believe we live in a time where we're so lucky to be able to take advantage of the internet and all it has to offer.

My favorite social media job-related site would be LinkedIn. LinkedIn does for the job world what Facebook does for...well, everything. Here are some facts from the Linked In Press page:

• As of September 30, 2011 (the end of the third quarter), LinkedIn counts executives from all 2011 Fortune 500 companies as members; its corporate hiring solutions are used by 75 of the Fortune 100 companies.
• More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages.
• As of February 9, 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 150 million members in over 200 countries and territories.

Search for contacts and find your former colleagues. If a colleague is someone you truly had a good experience with, write a letter of recommendation. Start pouring out the praises for others you've worked with (if they're worthy of course.) Networking is not just what you can get out of it, but it's also about what you can do for others. Even if the connection never pays off for you, think about what kind of person you'd be if you did something without expecting anything in return.

Also, use Facebook or Twitter to keep in contact with colleagues and friends from the past. Ask them to keep you in mind if a new position opens at their company. If you plan to use the site to network, keep it PG. (I would recommend this as a general rule of thumb anyway since you never know who's looking at your page.) Personally, I probably wouldn't be willing to recommend you for a job if all of your pictures consist of you passed out on the bathroom floor.

*Be memorable--in a GOOD way.

This one is super important and makes me think of an experience I had one time. When I was working as a pharmacy technician, I had someone come in for an interview that I worked with in the past. I didn't like her but it was more than just that. She was the biggest gossip, created tons of discord among everyone and had an extremely poor work ethic. I heard through the grapevine that she was unhappy with her position at the pharmacy that I left and when she came in for an interview at my current job, I decided I would do everything in my power to make sure she didn't get the job. I'm sure she never thought that her behavior in her current job would ever effect her job-hunting in the future. This is where the networking comes into play. Networking can positively or negatively effect you depending on the mark you leave on people. If you leave a good mark on someone, then you've made a networking connection. If not, then you've made an enemy and that has the possibility to hurt you in the future.

Even if you're not passionate about the job you're in or you plan on it just being a stepping stone to your career, make a good and lasting impression. Show up on time, complain as little as possible, work harder than everyone else and always ask what else you can be doing to help. A previous manager taught me this trick and I think she's right on. If you show initiative, you are differentiating yourself from the rest of the team. You never know, you might go in for an interview and a former co-worker is now in HR and is the one interviewing you. (Stranger things have happened.)

*Take advantage of opportunities and your connections.


When I've been on a job hunt, I've had people ask what they could do to help. I'm always the person that doesn't want to inconvenience someone or waste anyone's time. If a person offers to help--it's because they want to help. Take advantage of it. Know what you want from that person. If someone asks you what they can do to help you out and you're lacking skill in a specific computer program, ask them to teach you. We could all use more knowledge. This tip applies to people that aren't currently job-hunting also. If someone you work with offers to help, accept the help. It could pay off in the long run for a promotion or if you ever decide to switch jobs.

*Attend conferences, job fairs, work parties, etc.

Go to any major event that would have people with a similar career path and try to meet as many people as possible. I'm not talking throwing your business card at every person in the room. I'm talking more about creating a lasting bond and relationship where you feel comfortable with the people you meet. Exchange stories, offer advice or help, hand out your card, and be in contact. Networking isn't just about meeting people then asking them for a job. It's more about creating an image that you'd be a great recommendation if an opportunity ever came up.

I recently subscribed to a new site called LearnVest. I have loved getting their "Build Your Career Bootcamp" emails because I think they have some great tips and have a really positive way of delivering career advice. You can find tips on what I've mentioned and way more! Instead of telling you what NOT to do, they give you advice on how to make you an all-around great candidate. They even give interview tips which I definitely need since I may be the worst interviewee in the world. Imagine my surprise when I opened an email today to see it was about networking--I guess I was on the same page as them! I love their suggestions of meeting contacts at the grocery store! This is why I try to be nice to every single person I meet and that's not because I'm opportunistic. It's because I truly believe what you put out there is equal to what you get back. After all, who wants to work with a person who consistently has a scowl on her face? If the person that I smiled at can get me a job or might hire me in the future, I'll take that.

Tell me followers. Has networking really worked out for any of you? If so, tell me how and what tips can you add?

My First Post

First off, let me introduce myself and thank you TRULY for reading this. I know there are plenty of blogs out there, so the fact that you came to read this makes me feel wonderful. My name is Courtney and I live in the Chicago area. I have a bichon-poo named Britney who's 10 and she's my little princess. I will definitely post pictures at some point. I've newly become a Vegetarian and love experimenting with food. I'm huge into music and movies. In fact, I work at a movie company in the Social Media department.

I believe that life is a journey and here I am in my journey. I woke up this morning deciding I wanted to make a blog. Maybe it comes naturally for some people, but not so much for me. I've had a lot of bad things happen to me in my life, so I've always been the person that's extremely self-consumed and worried about my own problems that I never felt the need to actually reach out and do something helpful for the universe.

Then on Valentine's Day at 2'o clock in the morning, I had a deep thought. I tweeted something to the nature of "I wonder if I died today, if I would be proud of what i've accomplished or mourn over what i haven't." (140 characters or less, of course.) It really got me thinking about what mark I’ve made on the world or lack thereof. It reminded me of a quote I read once that's really stuck with me: "If I have done any deed worthy of remembrance, that deed will be my monument. If not, no monument can preserve my memory." -Agesilaus II

For once in my life, I'm happy with where I am. Sure, there are things I want, regrets I carry, but all in all I'm very satisfied with where I am. I have a job that I absolutely adore--borderline OBSESSED with, friends that make me smile, a brand new iPhone that makes me think I'm the coolest person alive. Oh, and a husband that thinks I'm the world. You know there are always things to complain about but I've decided that positivity seems to pay off.

So here I am, cyber-world. I decided I want to help my friends or strangers that feel not-as fabulous in their lives. Maybe it's through a bad breakup or through money trouble or simply hating your job--believe me, i've had many of those and we can swap stories or watch Office Space and recount how frightenly accurate it is. It's been a long journey for me to feel this-dare I say-normal. I'm talking a ten-year downward slope of pain, guilt and lots of tears. it wasn't until i met my husband that i decided this is a life worth living.

Let me know what's troubling you and what you'd like to see featured on my blog. This is all new to me, so I'm gladly up for some help! My blog will include tips on how to get the career you want, networking, recipes, how to feel fabulous, and maybe even some giveaways!

Oh, and you're probably wondering about the title. I fumbled with some titles for awhile but couldn't come up with anything creative. My friend came up with SORE THUMB. She said I needed to be unique and distinctive and I think it's great. Have you heard the saying: "You're unique and so is everyone else?" Any one out there that's recently had a job interview knows what I'm trying to say. You have so much life experience, job experience, school, etc but for some reason, it wasn't enough to get the job--or maybe it WAS enough, if you portrayed yourself as completely different from the other candidates. All I do in life, I want to stick out as a sore thumb. I want to be a light in a world that can be dark and I want to make a difference.

My new cyber-friends, I will leave you with an old Nike ad:

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough, they'll say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES."