Back in the saddle again

So after feeling like A job I wanted to apply for would never materialise it did and it scared me. After a year of rejection and all that bloody effort of filling in applications and researching companies and staff and linkedin and other internet stalking and background reading I'm not enthused to try again.

The worst bit isn't any of that of course. Its the getting your hopes up even when your brain tells you not to. Its hard not to when you also have to throw yourself into convincing others the job is the best one for you and you are best for the job. You start to believe it and then they don't agree - rejection.

But my logical brain says I have to go for it I'd be a fool not too, so I will. Closing date is way off so I have just enough time to totally overthink it and get lots of input and delete the one sentence that would have got me it.

 I fantasise about an interviewer asking me what a friend would tell them to convince them to give me the job and I answer honestly that my friends are deluded and love me to bits and they'd say all these amazing things. So really I should just put their words in my mouth, that might work.

Recent positives

Well getting to know people in the art world has been fascinating, has not led to come and work for us like my non art world contacts have somehow been expecting (I wasn't - so yay for me -for being realistic)  and I have learnt lost from listening and learning and gently questioning and some of them are on the way to being friends which is nice. But also it gives you the opportunity to ask them directly for advice and help. Scary but I was upfront and got a great response, so that's a bonus too.

I did use the impetus of needing to apply for funding to research that. It took ages and I read lots of guidance notes on how to apply. i found lots of previous funding streams are dry.

I also found many websites that charge for you to search for funding to apply for, maybe helpful for big ventures but too expensive and feels like a scam for such a small venture like the one I was looking for.

 I did manup and approach a big cheese for advice on a saturday and had an email back on a sunday! the next day. Yikes and Yay, I don't think my email was that amazing so I think genuine helpful person or I helped hit his targets.

Anyway I do feel far more knowledgeable and confident and I have shared my thoughts with an expert on the subject, knowing I will learn from her input too.

They say its not what you know its who you know but I hope I am proof that its actually sort of circular, get knowledge of who to know, know who you can, learn what you can, let that lead you to who and what to know, ask questions and oil it all with being helpful and open minded.

hopefully employed in the arts part time by 2012
Jen